Chanthaburi has raised a yellow flag warning after floodwater surged past 1 metre, forcing residents in several districts to evacuate as heavy rain continued to swell the Chanthaburi River.
The Chanthaburi Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, working with Chanthaburi Municipality, hoisted the yellow flag near the Wat Chantanaram bridge yesterday afternoon. The warning told businesses and residents in the city’s inner economic district to monitor river levels closely as a large volume of water flowed down from Khao Khitchakut district.
Rain continued to fall heavily in Khao Khitchakut, Kaeng Hang Maeo and Tha Mai districts, adding to the volume of water already pouring into residential areas.
Disaster prevention officers, soldiers and volunteers from the Sawang Kata Yu Chanthaburi rescue foundation used boats to reach residents trapped in the worst hit areas, bringing them to temporary shelters set up by local officials.
One of the most severely affected spots was Wat Krathing in Khao Khitchakut district, where floodwater rose above 1 metre and swamped the temple, Wat Krathing School and the surrounding community. The flooding cut off roads, leaving small vehicles struggling to pass.
The same floodwater then flowed into Makham district, particularly Wang Saem subdistrict, where the Chanthaburi River overflowed its banks near Ban Phaya Bon village and Wat Khanun. Teachers, soldiers, local officials and rescue workers moved teaching equipment and valuables to higher ground at Wat Khanun School before the water rose further.
Many homes were flooded too deeply to remain in. Families packed up belongings and pets and set up tents along roadsides to wait out the flooding.
Farmland was also hit hard. Durian orchards and fruit plantations across Wang Saem subdistrict were left submerged, and farmers voiced concern that prolonged flooding could rot roots and kill trees if the rain does not ease soon. Local officials and disaster prevention teams were assessing the damage and bringing in water pumps to help drain the affected areas.
In related news:
- Heavy rain to continue nationwide as Bangkok drowns
- All 50 Bangkok districts now flood disaster zones
The story Chanthaburi floods reach one metre, villagers evacuate as seen on Thaiger News.
