( CNN ) -- Workers in Thailand are racing against time Thursday to shore-up protective floodwalls in Bangkok with sandbags and mud to stop the country 's devastating floods from engulfing parts of the capital . So far , 281 people have been killed and two people are missing in Thailand , according to the government website Thaiflood.com . Some 61 of the country 's 76 provinces have so far been affected , impacting more than eight million people . More than 500,000 square kilometers -- an area the size of Spain -- are affected by the floods in Thailand , Cambodia , Vietnam and Laos , according to CNN meteorologist Jenny Harrison . Asia 's wet and wild summer explained . Following significant floods in Thailand 's northern and central plains , Bangkok is now being hit , where officials and citizens are scurrying to beef up prevention measures as waterways , including the main Chao Phraya River , become bloated by rising water . `` Between seven and eight billion cubic meters of water a day is being released from the Bhumibol dam in the north of the country , which is heavily affecting provinces like Nahkon Sawan and Ayutthaya , '' government official Wim Rungwattanajinda tells CNN . `` From that , about one to 1.2 billion cubic meters of water is reaching Bangkok every day . '' Wim believes that inner city Bangkok will not flood and is confident the defenses that have been built will hold , though he 's worried about a low weather depression that 's expected to arrive in the next couple of days . `` It 's a race against time , as Bangkok is only two meters above sea level , '' reports CNN 's Paula Hancocks . `` Of particular concern is that the waters that are coming down from the north may merge with predicted high tides from the south , expected from Thursday onwards . '' Thailand flood warnings : Crocodiles , snakes and centipedes . Hancocks also reports that the country 's economy may be badly affected from the floods . Manufacturing areas just north of Bangkok have been particularly hard hit hard , including a Honda factory that has been submerged ruining hundreds of cars . The giant Rojana Industrial Park has also halted operations for the time being , director Amara Charoengitwattanagun told state-run news agency MCOT , and the facility may be further damaged if the flooding worsens . One plant in the park , Single Point Parts , evacuated all workers from the premises and built flood prevention embankments around its building . `` The Thai finance ministry says overall damage from the floods could be more than $ 2 billion , with the worst yet still possibly to come , '' Hancocks says . Meanwhile , the UNESCO-listed Ayutthaya historical park , where the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya are located , has been submerged since last week , according to local authorities . iReporter shares photos of Ayutthaya flooding . `` This is the worst flood in our historical site in 16 years , '' said Somsuda Leeyawanich , from the Thai Fine Arts Department . She said the water level in the park is almost three meters , compared to levels of around 80-90 centimeters during the floods of 1995 . `` We are very concerned that if the site is under water for more than 30 days it may cause serious damage , '' she added . `` The temples are over 400 years old . '' CNN 's Paula Hancocks and Kocha Olarn contributed to this report .
Devastating Thai floods have killed 281 people ; 40 people are missing . An area the size of Spain is affected by the floods in Southeast Asia . Official : About 800 to 1.2 billion cubic meters of water reach Bangkok daily .