Japanese residents in flood-hit Bangkok head home

A large number of Japanese residents in Bangkok have returned to Japan as floods threaten to swamp the city's central districts.

Many Japanese families congregated at the international airport in Bangkok on Wednesday night waiting to leave for Japan.

One woman accompanied by 2 children said she was leaving because she is not sure when the kindergarten will reopen. She also said the supermarket shelves are empty, making life difficult.

A Japanese school in Bangkok has decided to extend its closure until November 14th. It says of the 2,600 students, around 1,300 will return to Japan.

The floods in Thailand are gradually spreading from northern Bangkok to its central districts.

With the high tide peak expected on Saturday, the Japanese exodus from Thailand is likely to increase.

Thursday, October 27, 2011 07:58 +0900 (JST)