Local communities in Ayutthaya’s Bang Sai district are the latest to be hit by flooding, bringing the total of flood-affected districts to 12 out of the province’s 16, reports the Bangkok Post.
A total of 49,239 households had been affected by the flooding, as of Saturday (Oct 11).
In low-lying areas of Bang Ban, where flooding occurs annually, water levels have reached two to three metres, forcing residents to move their belongings onto makeshift scaffolding.
Locals said flooding in the area began in late May, with the severity depending on the amount of rain and water discharged each year.
They urged authorities to implement long-term flood prevention measures as the area has been repeatedly submerged year after year.
Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised, who visited the flooded communities and key historical sites in Ayutthaya, has instructed officials from the Fine Arts Department to coordinate with local agencies to protect historical sites from floods.
Meanwhile, in Phichit province, local health officials thanked Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul for approving a 7-million-baht budget to build a flood barrier and install an automatic water-pumping system for Tapan Hin Crown Prince Hospital.
Provincial authorities say floodwaters in Muang, Taphan Hin and Bang Mun Nak districts have been gradually receding, easing the situation in key urban areas, much to the relief of locals affected by the problem.
Outside the main economic zones, low-lying areas along the Nan River remain flooded, while runoff from Sukhothai and the Bang Rakam model area in Phitsanulok continues to flow into the province.
Five districts of Sam Ngam, Wachira Banrami, Pho Prathap Chang, Bung Na Rang and Pho Thale are still under water.
Authorities from the provincial disaster prevention office reported flooding in 12 districts, affecting nearly 14,000 households, damaging more than 34,000 rai of farmland, 37 fish ponds and 29 roads.
The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain for the central region, Bangkok and surrounding provinces from Oct 11-13.
Rainfall is expected to decrease in the North and Northeast before increasing again between Oct 14 and 17.
Residents in the lower part of the Northeast region and the Central, Eastern and Southern regions are urged to brace themselves for heavy rain.
Fishermen in the Gulf and the Andaman are advised to avoid sailing in areas with thunderstorms throughout the period.