Many low-lying areas across Thailand’s Central Plains remain submerged after days of rising river levels, triggered by increased water discharges from the Chao Phraya barrage. Parts of Ayutthaya province are still underwater after three months, residents said on Saturday.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) warned that most regions of the country were at risk of fresh flooding due to the impact of Tropical Storm Kalmaegi, which has brought persistent rain and runoff from the North.
Government officials sought to reassure the public that the situation would not mirror the catastrophic floods of 2011, which left widespread devastation across central Thailand.
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) raised the discharge rate at the Chao Phraya barrage in Chai Nat province in response to storm forecasts. The move is expected to increase downstream water levels in the Chao Phraya River by 60 to 90 centimetres in coming days.
In Ang Thong province, roads and farmlands in Pa Mok district were flooded with water up to 40 centimetres deep after an embankment collapsed on Friday, sending water into residential and business zones.
By Saturday, local authorities reported that the water was slowly receding, though residents remained on alert for more runoff from northern provinces.
In Nonthaburi, several riverfront communities in Muang and Pak Kret districts were inundated after the river overflowed on Thursday. U-turn points beneath the Rama IV Bridge, which spans the Chao Phraya River, were also submerged on Saturday.
In Ayutthaya, a floodgate at Khlong Ta Nueng in Bang Ban district subsided late Friday night, allowing torrents of water to surge into nearby floodplains and inundate communities in Phak Hai district.
By Saturday, officials were working to reinforce breached barriers and speed up drainage operations to prevent worsening conditions as water levels continued to rise.
Residents Protest Over Mismanagement
Frustration boiled over on Friday as about 300 residents gathered at an intersection in Sena district to protest what they called poor water management and slow relief efforts.
Flooding in Sena, Bang Ban, and Phak Hai districts has persisted since May, forcing many residents to abandon their homes and take shelter along roadsides as the situation drags into its third month.
Local representatives urged the Royal Irrigation Department to review the rate of water discharge and to accelerate measures to ease the hardship faced by communities.
In response, officials opened two floodgates, Khlong Kanomchin and Chao Chet, to divert excess water into designated channels.
By late Saturday, local news agencies reported that floodwaters in some parts of Ayutthaya had slightly receded, aided by additional drainage through the damaged Khlong Ta Nueng floodgate the night before.
