Thialand Floods

[Mimi]

The floods, the heaviest in half a century here, are part of one of the worst flood seasons in the region in decades. In an arc that includes Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines, the flooding and typhoons have taken the lives of nearly 800 people and affected more than eight million, according to a tally by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. An additional 100 people were said to have died in Myanmar, where reports are hard to verify.

More than 200 have died in Cambodia alone. The tourist town of Siem Reap, adjacent to the ancient temples of Angkor, has been repeatedly inundated since August. Tourism has fallen sharply, shops and restaurants have been forced to close, and some hotels have used pumps to keep out water. In the midst of its own troubles, Cambodia, whose army has confronted Thailand in recent months in a border dispute, donated $50,000 to Thailand for disaster relief, and provided a similar amount to Vietnam.

New York Times