Forest run-off and heavy downpours have lashed several provinces and flooded numerous villages in the North, the Northeast and Central Plains, affecting tens of thousands of households and vast agricultural areas.
In Phrae, heavy overnight rain caused Huay Phakham reservoir in Muang district to overflow, flooding two villages in tambon Pamed at around 2am on Sunday.
The sudden flooding caught local residents off guard. They rushed to evacuate their belongings to higher areas. However, many were unable to save their belongings as floodwater rose rapidly. Water in most areas of this northern province rose to 1-2 metres.
In Sakon Nakhon, run-off from Phupan and Phupa Lek mountains, triggered by hours of heavy rain, flooded many houses and shophouses in several areas in Sawang Daen Din district late Saturday night.
In tambon Phue, more than 50 houses were flooded by water from 80cm to one metre deep. In low-lying areas, floodwater rose to almost 2 metres. Many household items were badly damaged.
In downtown Sawang Daen Din district, a huge volume of floodwater inundated shophouses and stores in a business area on Nittayo Road. A 500-metre section of this main road was under 50-60cm of water. The road was impassable for small vehicles.
Wicharn Thaenhua, chief of Sakon Nakhon disaster prevention and mitigation office, said flat-bottomed boats and officials were dispatched to help evacuate residents in flood-hit areas. More than 3,000 rai of paddy fields were damaged.
In Ayutthaya, rising floodwater posed a risk to the lives of local residents at Moo 6 village in Bang Ban district as electricity metres were almost under floodwater.
A resident inspects electricity metres in Ayutthaya's Bang Ban district. (Photo by Sunthon Pongpao)
Chumphon Chansor, 62, a local resident, sailed this boat to inspect electricity metres at his village on Sunday. The flood level in the village was about 1.5 metres, almost reaching the metres.
The riverside village is inundated every time the Chao Phraya Dam discharges water, said Mr Chumphon. Local residents had to move the electrical metres so that they are above flood water.
As flooding spread over 16 riverside communities in Bang Ban, there might not be sufficient officials to move electricity metres in flood-affected villages, he said.
Pol Maj Gen Sutthi Puangpikul, chief of Ayutthaya police, on Sunday instructed police stations in seven districts hit by floods to increase patrols around the clock for flood-affected residents staying in tents set up on roads.
Udomsak Khaonuna, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, said on Saturday that the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat was discharging water at a rate of 1,998 cubic metres per second. Discharges from the Rama VI Dam in Tha Rua district of Ayutthaya into the Pasak River were running at 491 cu/m per second. This had led to flooding that affected a total of 21,529 households in 455 villages.
The affected districts are Bang Ban, Sena, Phak Hai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Bang Pa-in, Bang Sai and Bang Pahan.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, local residents from 500 households in flood-hit Lam Choeng Krai village in tambon Khok Sung are refusing to evacuate after their village had been inundated for five days.
The village was hit by overflow from the Lam Kriangkrai River. More than 5,000 rai of agricultural area in the village was submerged.
The provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office told local residents to evacuate three days ago. There had been more than 100 cases of athlete’s foot reported in the village.
Win Khongchan, 46, a local resident, said he and other residents did not want to evacuate as they were worried about their belongings. The village was about 80cm under floodwater.
In Chaiyaphum, six districts have been declared disaster areas after the Chi River burst its banks and flooded many houses and farmland.
The six districts are Nong Bua Rawe, Chatturat, Ban Khwao, Noen Sa-nga, Kaeng Khro and some parts of Muang district.
Chaiyaphum governor Chusak Trisarn on Sunday inspected flood-hit areas in Noen Sa-nga district, where over 10,000 rai of ricefields were damaged.
One man was found drowned in Khon Sawan district on Sunday, bringing the number of Chaiyaphum residents killed by the flooding in one week to five. The victim, identified as Bunyiam Jiamchaiyaphum, 61, was found in the Chi River.
In Chai Nat, fishermen in areas downstream of the Chao Phraya Dam in Sapphaya district are benefitting from the huge volume of water as they are able to catch big fish to earn extra income.
Many fish are found in front of sluice gates of the dam in tambon Bang Luang, bringing delight for local fishermen, who sell them and get up to 1,000 baht a day.
Winai Padungpot, a fisherman, said each fisherman is catching 40 to 50 kg of fish. Their income had increased three-fold a day, he said.
A dog seeks shelter on a temple hall in Nakhon Ratchasima. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)