Thailand Flooding Hits Bangkok and the North
After Thursday and early Friday’s flooding here in Pattaya, it quickly became clear that a major storm front was developing across Thailand. From Saturday morning, that’s exactly what happened. Heavy rain spread across much of the country with rivers already running high in the north and flooding reported across numerous provinces.
But some of the most dramatic scenes came from Bangkok, where an extraordinary amount of rain fell within just a few hours onto ground and drainage systems already saturated by previous downpours. In many parts of Bangkok, the rivers didn’t overflow. It was the sheer volume of rain falling directly onto the capital in such a short period that overwhelmed drainage systems and caused widespread flash flooding.
Roads became rivers, cars were abandoned, and people were seen wading through deep water. Bangkok‘s governor said pumping stations and drainage tunnels were operating at full capacity as authorities attempted to move enormous volumes of water out of flooded areas. Schools in affected districts were told to prepare for possible closure today.
Bangkok Flooding Disrupts Hospitals and Airports
While the disruption created considerable problems for people simply trying to get home from work, some hospital staff were unable to make the journey and instead slept wherever they could inside their hospitals, grabbing a few hours’ rest before returning to duty. Similar problems affected emergency workers, firefighters, and police officers who had little choice but to remain at their posts while the weather continued. For visitors arriving in Bangkok, both major airports remained operational, but the weather certainly didn’t make traveling particularly pleasant.
Heavy downpours caused delays in baggage reaching terminal areas. For some passengers, the bigger challenge began after leaving the airport through flooded or heavily congested roads. This is also an important week for Thailand‘s schools with end-of-term examinations scheduled across many year groups.
We’re told those examinations should continue as planned unless further severe weather causes additional disruption. Schools temporarily closed because of flooding are expected to reopen from Tuesday. By the end of the week, state schools begin their approximately 3-week term break.
Nationwide Floods Affect 21 Thai Provinces
Nationally, the government continues to monitor flooding closely. As of last night, 21 provinces remained affected with close to 100,000 people impacted.
Looking at the accumulated effects of the recent weather rather than simply yesterday’s flooding, reports indicate problems across 36 provinces covering 143 districts, more than 500 subdistricts, and almost 2,000 villages. The prime minister returned earlier than originally planned to oversee the government’s response.
Pattaya and Rayong Weekend Flooding
Much of the weekend brought only isolated and generally smaller storms to Pattaya. Neighboring Rayong wasn’t so fortunate, with severe rain leaving significant parts of the city flooded. Other areas around Chonburi were also affected, while sections of Motorway 7 reportedly became difficult or temporarily impossible for smaller vehicles to negotiate.
Kevin Dimino Deportation Appeal Rejected
In other news, Thai media report that the prime minister has rejected an appeal against the deportation of French national Kevin Dimino. Dimino was one of two foreign nationals recently made subject to deportation orders following allegations of behavior authorities considered contrary to public order and the welfare of people in Thailand. According to the allegations cited by authorities, Dimino, who operates a small zoo, was linked with six separate incidents.
These included allegations of threatening and verbally abusing people at a language school, assaulting a Turkish national and threatening him with a knife, aggressive behavior outside private property, and assaulting another foreign tourist. Authorities also cited social media posts which they alleged could encourage racial, religious, or political division, together with an incident aboard a domestic flight in which he was accused of threatening passengers before police were called and he was removed from the aircraft.
Thai media now report that his request to revoke or suspend the deportation order has been rejected. If the process proceeds as expected, he could be among the first foreigners deported under Thailand‘s recently strengthened procedures.
Five Phuket Hotels Ordered to Close
On Phuket, five hotels have been ordered to temporarily suspend operations after authorities found they were operating without the necessary licenses or had failed to complete required improvements. Provincial officials say the businesses had already been given additional time to correct deficiencies before the closure orders were issued.
Affected hotels have been instructed to transfer existing bookings to properly licensed accommodation. Another 40 hotels reportedly remain under consideration for license renewals.
Daniel Sancho Life Sentence Upheld
On Koh Samui, the appeal court has upheld the life sentence imposed on Spanish chef Daniel Sancho Bronchalo for the premeditated murder of Colombian cosmetic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga. The original court judgment imposed a death sentence before reducing the punishment to life imprisonment. Sancho was also ordered to pay approximately 4.5 million baht in compensation to Arrieta’s family.
He had admitted offenses connected with concealing and disposing of the body, but denied that the killing itself had been premeditated. The case followed the two men meeting on Koh Phangan, where the killing took place after Sancho said an argument developed between them.
The victim’s family had appealed, seeking restoration of the death penalty. That appeal has now been rejected, leaving life imprisonment in place.
Pattaya Marathon and Localized Storms
In Pattaya, despite the cooler and distinctly uncertain weather, competitors in the city’s annual marathon were out bright and very early yesterday morning. Thousands of runners took part, supported by hundreds of officials, volunteers, and staff working along the route. The weather did appear to keep spectator numbers lower than usual, but for those actually doing the running, slightly cooler temperatures probably weren’t entirely unwelcome.
Yesterday afternoon brought another reminder of just how localized Pattaya‘s tropical storms can be. Heavy rain once again caused flooding in parts of the city, particularly around Soi Buakhao, while other areas received considerably less. The water cleared relatively quickly once the heaviest rain stopped.
That’s something newcomers to Thailand sometimes find extraordinary. You can be standing beneath an absolute deluge while somebody just a kilometer away is wondering what on earth you’re talking about.
Heavy Rain Forecast Across Thailand
For today, heavy rain remains possible across a large part of Thailand. Areas highlighted include Tak and Kamphaeng Phet in the north; Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi in the central region; Nakhon Nayok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat in the east; and Phetchaburi, Ranong and Phang Nga further south.
Importantly, Chonburi remains on that list. For Pattaya and the surrounding region, temperatures will struggle to reach 30 degrees today, falling to around 25 tonight with further rain and thunderstorms possible.
