Many cars broke down on swamped roads such as Ngam Wong Wan and Chaeng Wattana because of the high level of floodwater.

Thousands of people using public transport had to spend hours waiting for buses and vans on swamped footpaths.

One person who works in the Public Health Ministry said it took her four hours to get home by minibus and passenger van.

“I left the office about 5.30pm to take a minibus to a shopping mall on Ngam Wong Wan Road to take another passenger van to Ramkhamhaeng Road. I arrived the bus stop at shopping mall around 6.40pm and waited for the van about an hour, which was longer than usual due to flooding and the traffic jam,” she said.

“I eventually reached my home at about 9.30pm, taking four hours – while the usual time is only about one hour. From now on, I will leave the office sooner to avoid being trapped in the traffic like this,” she said.

A photo taken inside a car caught in the traffic on Phaholyothin Road was shared more than a thousand times on social media. It showed the car was on the road from 5.15pm till 8.00pm while the car moved only 5 metres.

“After my wife had waited for me in a shopping mall for four hours, she decided to buy what she wanted and some food and drink, and walked to the car to take turns at the wheel. We had dinner in the car in the rain,” a social media user wrote.

Another photo shared on social media about 1,000 times showed a half-submerged Ferrari California T, which had broken down in the right lane on Ngam Wong Wan Road near Phong Phet intersection.

A car magazine fan page speculated that it would cost around Bt2 million to get the high-powered car fixed – because there was floodwater inside the car damaging its electronic parts.

One person living on Srisaman Road in Don Muang district said he left an office on Bangna Road at about 9pm to avoid traffic congestion, but was also caught in the gridlock.

“I spent two and half hours driving home. I was stuck in the traffic since I was on Bangna Expressway and the traffic was flowing slowly. I had to take an exit on Din Daeng Road as usual, but could not do that because of a traffic jam at the Lat Phrao five-ways intersection. So, I decided to take another exit on Chaeng Wattana Road, which was also stuck. Finally, I reached home around 11.30pm. So, I will not go outside – to avoid situations like this,” he said.

One person working on Phaholyothin Road said he was “trapped” on Lat Phrao Road for four hours when going home.

“It took three hours from my office located in Phaholyothin Soi 6 to Lat Phrao five-ways intersection when the usual time is only 10 minutes,” the man wrote. “I was so sleepy and hungry on an air-conditioned number 8 bus caught in the traffic gridlock. It was such a long time that I fell asleep and woke up several times – while the bus was still in the same place.”