Embankment Burst Floods Phetchabun Village
A section of the Pa Sak River embankment in Lom Sak district, Phetchabun, gave way late on August 1, sending floodwater into about 150 houses across five villages in tambon Tan Diao and affecting roughly 500 people. A roughly five-metre stretch of the barrier collapsed in Moo 8 village as the river rose, according to Bangkok Post. Local authorities have since reinforced weak points along the Pa Sak River with sandbags and large water-filled bags, and assigned personnel to maintain round-the-clock surveillance to protect Lom Sak's commercial district from further breaches.
Phetchabun is one of 20 provinces the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has placed under flash-flood warning, with high-risk areas including Pa Lao, Ban Tok, Wang Chomphu, Huai Yai, Na Yom and Chon Phrai subdistricts in Mueang Phetchabun, and Pak Chong, Ban Rai and Lan Ba subdistricts in Lom Sak itself. The TMD forecast on August 2 that thunderstorms would cover 70% of the North and 60% of Bangkok and its vicinity over the following 24 hours, driven by a monsoon trough across the upper North and a moderate southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Forecasters warned that heavy, accumulated rain could trigger flash floods and forest run-off, particularly on foothill slopes near waterways and in low-lying areas, with the highest rainfall totals expected in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Tak, Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan.
Disaster Agency Orders Northern Provinces, Hospitals to Prepare
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) ordered 17 northern provinces on August 2 to intensify flood preparations, as forecasts point to heavier-than-normal rainfall through August across the West, North, upper Northeast and East. DDPM regional centres and provincial offices were told to pre-position rescue equipment in high-risk areas before flooding occurs, rather than waiting for an emergency, and to coordinate with local administrative organisations, civil defence volunteers and rescue foundations so help can reach affected communities quickly.
Hospitals in the risk zone have been directed to confirm the readiness of primary and backup emergency routes, backup power, fuel, water, oxygen, medicines and blood supplies sufficient to last at least 72 hours, according to Nation Thailand. Heavy rain is expected to persist in parts of the upper Northeast until around August 7 as the monsoon trough remains active and the southwest monsoon strengthens, keeping the flood threat elevated across the region even as cleanup continues in Phetchabun.
