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Thousands of Bangkok residents flocked to bus, rail and air terminals on Thursday while heavy traffic snaked out of the sprawling Thai capital in an exodus from a mass of approaching floodwater.

Water was seeping into central areas of the city of 12 million people, entering the grounds of the Grand Palace after the main Chao Phraya River overflowed at high tide, but most of downtown Bangkok was still dry.

A huge runoff from the north equivalent to almost half a million Olympic swimming pools is expected to reach the capital at the same time as seasonal high tides this weekend, testing the city's flood defenses.

Many residents hunkered down in their homes, surrounded by sandbags or in some cases hastily erected concrete block walls, after the government ordered a five-day holiday for 21 provinces including Bangkok beginning Thursday.

"It's a crisis, because if we try to resist this massive amount of floodwater, a force of nature, we won't win," said a teary-eyed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, facing a major test of her two-month-old leadership.

"But if we allow it to flow freely then people in many areas are prepared," added the former businesswoman, the sister of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Crowds of people abandoned their homes and headed to areas away from the path of the water, especially to the beach resorts of Hua Hin, Phuket and Pattaya.

"All of these destinations are packed with Thais who have moved from Bangkok," said Tourism Authority of Thailand Deputy Chief Sansern Ngaorungsi.

He said domestic flights from Bangkok's main airport, which is still operating as normal - were also "very, very packed".

A steady flow of Thais and foreigners streamed into the capital's bus terminals as people sought to escape, while Bangkok's main train station was crowded and roads north and east out of the city were choked.

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.