Severe flooding has submerged 11 districts in Ayutthaya province, affecting more than 46,000 households, with Bang Ban district described as looking like a vast lake.
The flooding followed the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat province maintaining its discharge rate at 2,300 cubic metres per second, sending large volumes of water downstream into the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries. Although water levels in some areas have begun to fall by 5-10 centimetres, many communities remain under water.
The Ayutthaya Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office reported on Friday that 11 districts – Sena, Phak Hai, Bang Ban, Bang Sai, Bang Pa-in, Tha Rua, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Maha Rat, Bang Pahan, Ban Phraek and Nakhon Luang – have been affected.
A total of 46,273 households have suffered from the floods, which have claimed eight lives in Sena, Bang Ban and Bang Sai districts. Thirty-three schools, two mosques and 38 temples have been submerged, while 58 community roads have become impassable. Around 390 rai of farmland – mostly rice paddies and other crops – have been damaged.
In Bang Ban district alone, floodwaters have covered 101 villages across 16 tambons, affecting 6,425 households. Many homes and communities along the Chao Phraya River and nearby canals remain inundated.
Although the water has started to recede, many areas are still under two to three metres of water. Some homes are flooded to their floors, while others are almost half-submerged.
Local roads have turned into waterways, forcing residents to use boats to travel in and out of their communities. Aerial images show entire communities in Bang Ban resembling a vast lake.
Residents said water levels have started to recede slightly, but they remain anxious as continued rainfall and high-volume discharges from upstream have kept large areas under water.