Thai soldiers sweep once flooded streets.

Thai soldiers sweep once flooded streets in a big cleaning day at Lat Phrao shopping district as floodwaters recede from the area, in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. With tens of thousands of soldiers on the streets helping flood affected people, Thais are applauding their assistance restoring the formerly tarnished image of Thai forces after their involvement in the bloody crackdown of 2010 red shirt political protests. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding as millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites.

Thai women collect the thick brown Effective Micro Organism (EMO) fluid into recycled plastic water bottles, to spread into floodwaters as an attempt to prevent  disease, in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding while millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites, shaving at least one per cent off the country's economic growth.

A Thai woman walks through receding floodwaters carrying a water container in a street in the Laksi area of Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding as millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites.

A Thai woman walks through receding floodwaters next to a small taxi boat in a street in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding as millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites.

Thai men ride through floodwaters on their high-water converted motorcycle in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding as millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites

Thai soldiers sweep once flooded streets in a big cleaning day at Lat Phrao shopping district as floodwaters recede from the area, in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. With tens of thousands of soldiers on the streets helping flood affected people, Thais are applauding their assistance restoring the formerly tarnished image of Thai forces after their involvement in the bloody crackdown of 2010 red shirt political protests. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding as millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites. 

A Thai man walks on a raised walkway above floodwaters passing a picture of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding while millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites, shaving at least one per cent off the country's economic growth. 

Thai soldiers sweep once flooded streets in a big cleaning day at Lat Phrao shopping district as floodwaters recede from the area, in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. With tens of thousands of soldiers on the streets helping flood affected people, Thais are applauding their assistance restoring the formerly tarnished image of Thai forces after their involvement in the bloody crackdown of 2010 red shirt political protests. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding as millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites. 

Thai soldiers sweep once flooded streets in a big cleaning day at Lat Phrao shopping district as floodwaters recede from the area, in Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2011. With tens of thousands of soldiers on the streets helping flood affected people, Thais are applauding their assistance restoring the formerly tarnished image of Thai forces after their involvement in the bloody crackdown of 2010 red shirt political protests. As floodwaters start to recede in some parts of Bangkok, Thailand is counting the enormous cost after weeks of flooding as millions of people remain affected by the worst flooding in five decades. More than 500 deaths have been reported in the disaster and it has caused billions of dollars in damages to residents homes, small businesses and to many foreign owned industrial manufacturing plants, as well as tourist sites.