In mid-November 2011, floods were receding in Thailand’s historic city of Ayutthaya, but only slowly. Large areas of standing water remained. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured the top image on November 13, 2011, and the bottom image on October 23, 2011.
Both images show flooded conditions, but a close comparison shows that the water levels have dropped slightly in some areas by mid-November. Route 32, partially underwater in late October, appears largely dry weeks later. Muddy water has retreated slightly from land southwest of the curving Chao Phraya River in mid-November, and dark flood water is less prevalent in the city center. Nevertheless, substantial flooding remains.
Situated along the Chao Phraya River north of Bangkok, Ayutthaya is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site. Founded in the fourteenth century, the city is now a major draw for tourists. By mid-November 2011, some city attractions had reopened, according to news reports, including Wat Phra Si San Phet and a major elephant park.
NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Michon Scott.
