A makeshift floating market emerged near Bang Kapi intersection on Lat Phrao Road in Bangkok, where waist-deep floodwater continued to affect residents on the morning of today, September 29.
Despite the flooding, vendors from Bang Kapi Market set up stalls outside Bang Kapi Market, selling fresh food, dried goods, fruit and other ingredients to residents struggling to access essential supplies.
Vendors placed their goods in boats or foam boxes and floated them on the floodwater to sell to customers. Shoppers also used foam boxes to carry their purchases through the water, creating a scene resembling a traditional floating market.
One shopper told Channel 8 that he lived near Hua Mak Mosque, around one kilometre from the market, but he spent over an hour walking there. He bought ingredients to prepare meals at home, with some supplies intended for resale in his community.
He said the market was busier than usual. Under normal circumstances, vendors would have packed up by around 8am, but the flooding prompted them to continue selling throughout the day.
Another resident said the water level had dropped compared with the first day of flooding, when it reached chest height. He had travelled approximately four kilometres from his home to buy food ingredients.
He said prices had risen to almost twice their usual levels, but he understood the increase, explaining that transportation had become difficult and some ingredients required ice for preservation, which was also difficult to obtain during this time.
A vegetable vendor told reporters that she moved outside Bang Kapi Market because customers could no longer access the market.
The vendor said she viewed selling goods in the floodwater as an unusual experience. She expected the flooding to take more than a week to return to normal.
Following the latest update on the flooding situation in other areas in Bangkok, floodwaters are gradually receding, although several areas remain affected by significant flooding.
Lat Krabang, Bang Kapi, Min Buri, Saphan Sung, Suan Luang, Bueng Kum, Khlong Sam Wa and Sai Mai were among the eight districts still experiencing flooding.
Water levels in the Saen Saep and Lat Phrao canals also remained critically high, while authorities continued drainage operations. Some suburban areas, particularly around Bang Phlat and Thawi Watthana, were also being monitored as water levels rose.
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