BANGKOK - Several areas of Bangkok were flooded on Wednesday (Jan 10) as torrential rain caused chaos on roads in the Thai capital, affecting hundreds of office workers during rush hour, the Bangkok Post reported.

The pre-dawn thunderstorm slowed traffic to a crawl on Lat Phrao Road, a major road in the capital, with floodwaters surging to 20cm deep along a 400m stretch of the road. Pedestrians were also affected as footpaths near the road's Tawana Market area were also submerged in floodwaters, the paper reported on its website.

Bangkok's Bang Kapi district was flooded, with the water reaching 30cm deep at a carpark located in the district, damaging many vehicles, The Nation reported.

Heavy traffic due to the floods was also reported at Sukhumvit Road with water levels there measuring between 15 to 20cm, the Bangkok Post said.

The Meteorological Department said many parts of Thailand saw heavy rain after a high pressure system brought cold weather over the north-east. Temperatures in the region are expected to drop by 6 to 8 deg C.

In the north-eastern Kalasin province, the temperature had dropped to 16 deg C, with locals resorting to lighting bonfires in order to keep warm.

The freak weather is set to bring more rain to Bangkok and the upper regions of Thailand throughout the day.

A "rapid drop in temperatures" is also expected on Thursday, with Bangkok and the nearby provinces expected to see the mercury falling by 4 to 6 deg C.

The cold spell is expected to continue until Jan 15, the paper said.