Sri Lanka issues travel warning to flood-hit Bangkok

Sri Lanka issued a travel warning to flood-hit Thailand's capital Bangkok, officials from the External Affairs Ministry said here in a statement on Monday. The ministry said only people with "essential and urgent" need are advised to travel to Bangkok, which is a key shopping and holiday destination for thousands of tourists from Sri Lanka. "This is due to the severe flooding in Thailand. Latest reports from Bangkok indicate that some parts of the Thai capital, Bangkok, are already under water and others are likely to be inundated with rising flood waters in the coming days," the statement said. The Thai Ministry of Tourism has already advised that travelers to Bangkok change their plans and those already in Bangkok to move to safer provinces. Therefore, unless it is extremely essential, Sri Lankans are advised to temporarily postpone their travel to Bangkok until such time the situation improves. The Sri Lanka embassy in Bangkok has earlier assured that so far no Sri Lankans had been hurt in the floods.