Floods Hit Nan Province in Northern Thailand: 60 Villages Affected, 2 Killed

Flooding broke out in Nan province, northern Thailand, affecting a total of 60 villages and around 16,000 people. Among the most severely hit areas is Pua District, where floodwaters have spread to downstream riverside communities. Two fatalities have been reported so far.

According to Thai media reports, as of 4:00 p.m. on August 19, seven towns in Pua District had suffered from the flooding, impacting about 8,000 households. While water levels in the district have begun to recede, a large volume of water is still moving downstream, raising the risk of flash floods in riverside communities and along tributaries.

Among the two deceased, one was a bedridden patient who was unable to evacuate without assistance and was swept away from home by the floodwaters in Sila Phet Town, Pua District.

Rescue personnel from the Phet Kasem Foundation also received a report of a man's body being found in Pa Kha Town, Tha Wang Pha District. The man was estimated to be between 45 and 50 years old.

Additionally, flooding has also been reported in Santi Suk District and Mae Charim District.

As floodwaters from Pua District continue to spread downstream, Chiang Yuen Village in Yom Town and Na Tao Village in Rim Town, Tha Wang Pha District, have issued red emergency alerts, with water levels in those areas continuing to rise.

Low-lying sections of Woranakhon Road near the Tha Wang Pha market are now completely inaccessible; meanwhile, four people who were trapped in their homes in Fai Mun Village have been safely evacuated from high-risk areas.

Nan governor Surapong stated that the situation remains concerning between August 18 and 21, as the monsoon is currently passing through the area. In most regions, accumulated rainfall has exceeded 200mm, with rainfall in Pua District alone surpassing 300mm, causing water levels in tributaries to rise dramatically.

Surapong further added that it is currently impossible to predict how high the water level might rise, but the disaster could reach the severity of the major floods that hit in 2006.

Further downstream, the Nan provincial government is on high alert as water levels continue to rise. Authorities have initiated full-scale pumping operations, and are using large-scale flood barriers and sandbags to reinforce vulnerable areas. In addition, departments are installing flood barriers behind the Ban Nam Lom community to prevent water from reaching Nan Provincial Hospital.

The city government has issued its first warning to high-risk communities, especially those that were affected by flooding in 2006 and 2024. Authorities are urging residents to move their belongings to higher ground, prepare sufficient food, drinking water, and medicine, relocate vehicles, and transfer vulnerable groups to safer locations.