Floodwaters approach centre of Thai capital

Residents use make-shift rafts to travel along a flooded street in Bangkok (REUTERS)

Floodwaters are moving closer to the heart of Thailand's capital, with officials warning that no major barriers are standing in the way to prevent the water from reaching central Bangkok.

City spokesman Jate Sopitpongstorn said today that workers have finished building a massive flood wall in hopes of diverting some of the mass of water still piled up in northern Bangkok.

But he said the city would have to rely on its existing drainage system to fight water that was already less than six miles from the central business district.

The flooding, which started in northern Thailand in late July and has killed almost 450 people nationwide, has been spreading across Bangkok's north and west for more than a week.

The government has asked residents in eight of the city's 50 districts to evacuate. AP