It's a familiar sequence of events for Thailand's capital, which has endured repeated episodes of violence, chaos and anxiety in recent years, including massive antigovernment protests in April and May 2010 that left more than 90 people dead.
Friday's high tide passed without a major breach, but the waters briefly touched riverside areas closer to the city's central businesses districts of Silom and Sathorn, and spilled through a sandbag barrier protecting the capital city's treasured Grand Palace, the Associated Press reported.