Thailand flooding: Parts of Bangkok 'to be hit'

Floodwaters caused by weeks of heavy rain have built up to the north of the Thai capital

The Thai government says it will be impossible to protect all of the capital from flooding because of a build-up of water to the north.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said water would have to be allowed to flow through parts of Bangkok out to sea.
Describing the flooding as a "national crisis", she said officials were doing all they could to solve the problem.
On Wednesday officials urged residents in seven Bangkok districts to prepare for possible flooding.
Central Bangkok is protected by flood barriers which have been reinforced by troops in recent days.
But the run-off from severe flooding in central parts of the country has built up to the north of the capital, and several northern suburbs are already underwater.
'Overwhelming' "We cannot block the water forever," Ms Yingluck said. "We need areas that water can be drained through so water can flow out to the sea."
The problems have been exacerbated by high tides, forcing water back up swollen rivers.
"Flood waters are coming from every direction and we cannot control them because it's a huge amount of water," the prime minister said.
"This problem is very overwhelming. It's a national crisis so I hope to get cooperation from everybody."
Ms Yingluck said the government would work out which parts of the city to send the floodwaters through. The Bangkok Post reported that eastern districts were most likely to be hit.
The BBC's Rachel Harvey, in Bangkok, says that the authorities are now having to decide which parts of the nation's capital should be sacrificed in order to protect others.
The floods - Thailand's worst in decades - have been triggered by heavy monsoon rain that begin in July.
At least 320 people have been killed over the three-month period, with northern and central areas badly affected in the early stages.
About a third of all provinces are still affected and manufacturing has been hit because a several large industrial estates have been forced to close.