No need to evacuate Pinoys in flood-hit Thailand areas – embassy

The Philippine Embassy in Thailand sees no need to evacuate Filipinos in flood-hit provinces for now after the situation in these areas “stabilized" during the past days, a GMA News report said Monday. First Consul Edgar Badajos said Filipinos stranded inside their homes in the central province of Pathum Thani no longer need to be transferred to safer ground, although the embassy is still finding ways to address the shortage of supplies for affected families, GMA News stringer Percival Roxas said in a report over GMA News TV’s "News To Go." "Dati, uulan konti at babaha ng konti sa low lying areas, pero nawawala rin. This never happened before. Actually this is the worst flooding in half a century in Thailand," Roxas said in the television report. He added that the PHL Embassy has already received calls for assistance from nine Filipino families from flood-hit areas during the past days.

Filipino officials in Thailand are currently monitoring the flooding situation round-the-clock, especially with the threat of floodwaters swamping the capital city of Bangkok, according to the report. More than 200 people have already been killed by flooding in Ayutthaya, Patthum Thani and Nakhon Sawan which started in late July due to heavy monsoon rains and water streaming. A red alert remains hoisted over Bangkok due to the threat of heavy flooding caused by continued rain storms, overflowing dams and high tides in major rivers. The Philippine Embassy in Thailand met last week with various Filipino organizations in the country to prepare for emergency situations caused by the flooding. Filipinos in affected areas may visit the embassy’s website for updates or call emergency hotline numbers (089) 926 5954 and (084) 360 8005. There are more than 5,000 Filipinos currently working in Thailand, according to latest statistics from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. — with Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News