Foreign Office lifts Bangkok travel ban

The Foreign Office has lifted restrictions on travel to Bangkok and many other parts of Thailand that had been affected by severe flooding.

It is no longer advising against all but essential travel to the capital and 21 other provinces where flooding following heavy rainfall in September and October led to the deaths of more than 530 people.

However, it is continuing to advise against all travel to the Preah Vihear and T Krabey/Ta Moan temple areas and all but essential travel to the provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla.

It is warning that there is still a large volume of flood water from the north passing through Bangkok, and to the east and west of the city, to reach the Gulf of Thailand.

"This flood water is being contained by a series of barriers, dykes and canals and has flooded outlying districts to the north (including Chatuchak ), east and west of central Bangkok," it said.

"Some of the flood defences have been breached and the authorities have put in place measures to deal with these breaches. We now assess that the risk of floods affecting central Bangkok is reducing, though a small risk remains that some of the floodwater affecting the suburbs to the north, east and west of Bangkok could spread slowly towards the centre of the city.

"This risk will diminish as more floodwater drains into the sea. We continue to monitor the situation and update this travel advice on a regular basis."