Residents of Bangkok, which is threatened by large scale flooding, have begun to leave after the authorities urged people in low-lying parts of the city to get out to avoid a massive inundation.
Flood waters are already seeping into central parts of the city, with waters entering the iconic Grand Palace, near the Chao Phraya river.
After days of preparations for the onslaught of water, many citizens abandoned their homes last night and are heading to safety in other areas.
"We have learned that all of these destinations are packed with Thais who have moved from Bangkok," said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) deputy chief Sansern Ngaorungsi.
He said domestic flights from the country's main air hub, Suvarnabhumi, which is still operating as normal, were also "very, very packed".
Televised footage showed crowded bus terminals in the capital as people sought to escape, while officials said Bangkok's main train station was also filling up and roads north and east out of the city were choked.
"Traffic congestion to Pattaya in (southeastern) Chonburi province began on Wednesday evening," Major General Norraboon Nanna, commander of the highway police, told AFP by telephone.
Government offices are shut across the capital after the government has ordered a five-day holiday for 21 provinces including Bangkok, to allow the city's residents to prepare for the inundation or leave.
A huge runoff from the north is expected to reach the capital at the same time as seasonal high tides this weekend.
Districts north of Bangkok city centre have already been inundated, shutting down the city's second biggest airport.
The country's Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), said late last night that it was working on providing extra shelters outside the city of 12 million people, where food and deliveries were expected to become more difficult.
"I would like to ask Bangkok people who are already affected or could be affected soon to consider evacuating to other places," said Thongthong Chantarangsu, a spokesman for FROC.
