Floods dampen ASEAN meeting

Floods dampen ASEAN meeting

BANGKOK (AFP): Heavy rains have flooded the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai on the eve of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers meeting (AEM) and sent organizers scrambling for emergency transportation, local reports said yesterday.

The ancient capital, often called the "Rose of Thailand," was under a meter of water yesterday, following a week of downpours from tropical depression Luke which swept uncollected refuse along the streets, Thai radio said.

Some of the worst flooding was near the five-star Westin Hotel, where the economic ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are to meet Monday for annual talks, The Nation daily said.

Thai organizers had considered moving the meetings from the Westin to a hotel in a less flooded part of town, but decided Friday that preparations at the Westin were so advanced that the meetings would be held there.