Airlines that use Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport are making plans for use of alternative airports in the event their fleet of planes need to be moved because of the dramatic flooding the Kingdom is currently experiencing. High tides coupled with the massive amount of water headed south are predicted to cause major problems for the greater Bangkok area next week.

The flooding and continued heavy downpour is responsible for what is being called the worst natural disaster to hit Thailand in decades. About 8.2 million people in 60 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have been affected by the flooding. And no end is in sight.

The Atlantic’s on-line edition has an incredible set of photos that provide a visual account of the flooding, a record of the massive problem that does a better job than the written word can express:

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/10/worst-flooding-in-decades-swamps-thailand/100168/

Travelling to Thailand in the next few weeks? If you’ve purchased trip insurance, you might want to check your policy to see what exclusions it lists in regards to flooding and acts of god.