After initially saying it didn't need assistance, the Thai government has asked a U.S. warship docked in Bangkok to help survey the floods inundating the capital. So far, Bangkok's dikes have held, but with the flood expected to peak Saturday and water already seeping into the royal complex, monks are stacking sandbags and residents are buying life preservers and boats. People continue to evacuate, and roads out of the city are jammed. The flood has also disrupted supply chains, causing the Bank of Thailand to slash its growth forecast to 2.6 percent from 4.1 percent.
