Floodwaters surge towards Nan city after killing one, hitting 72 villages and leaving 27,000 without power. Vulnerable residents are evacuated as ministers deploy north, emergency shelters open and a KA-32 helicopter is placed on standby.
Deadly flooding in Nan is driving a major emergency response as fast-moving waters bear down on Nan city. One person has died, 72 villages are affected and more than 27,000 people lost power. Vulnerable residents are being evacuated before floodwaters arrive, while ministers head north, hospitals secure backup electricity and a KA-32 helicopter stands ready. Meanwhile, warnings have widened to Phayao, Lamphun and the upper northeast as heavy rain threatens through August 21.
Flooding in Nan province has killed one person as fast-moving waters push downstream towards Nan city. The disaster has affected four districts, 21 subdistricts and 72 villages. More than 27,000 people also lost electricity after high-voltage power poles fell. In response, the government ordered vulnerable residents to evacuate before floodwaters reach their homes.
Deputy Interior Minister Polpeera Suwannachawi is directing the emergency response while acting as Interior Minister. He has ordered the restoration of electricity, drinking water and communications across affected communities. Crucially, elderly residents and bedridden patients along the flood route must be evacuated early. Officials were specifically instructed not to wait until water reaches their homes.
By Wednesday afternoon, one fatality had been reported in Nan. Officials were urgently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. At the same time, conditions in badly affected Pua district were returning towards normal. Residents there had begun leaving evacuation centres as local water levels receded.
Nan floodwaters move towards city as ministers head north and residents prepare for rising water
The danger, however, was moving downstream. Floodwaters were heading towards Tha Wang Pha and Phu Piang districts. Officials expected the water to reach Nan city within five hours of Wednesday afternoon’s assessment. Accordingly, Nan City Municipality warned residents to move possessions to higher ground. Officials reported that local communities were well prepared for the approaching water.
Mr Polpeera chaired an emergency monitoring meeting at 4 pm on August 19. The meeting examined northern flooding and disaster relief following flash floods in Pua district. Senior Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officials attended at the department’s fourth-floor office. Provincial disaster chiefs across northern Thailand joined electronically.
Among those present was Acting Advisor on Administration Saharat Wongskulwiwat. Deputy DDPM Director-General Chatchadaporn Boonpeeranuch also attended. Senior DDPM executives joined them. In parallel, heads of provincial DDPM offices across northern Thailand reported on conditions in their areas.
Senior cabinet ministers were also heading towards the flood zone by aircraft. Deputy Prime Minister Professor Dr Yotsanun Wongsawat was travelling to the area. He is also Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Deputy Interior Minister Jetset Thaiseth and other cabinet ministers were travelling with the wider government deployment.
Government reinforces Nan flood response as Sirikit Dam receives water and vulnerable groups evacuate
Their mission was to reinforce provincial management of the emergency. Separately, Mr Polpeera travelled to monitor operations and support personnel responding across the northern provinces. Government resources were therefore being mobilised both locally and from Bangkok.
The immediate concern remained the volume of water moving through Nan. Officials said floodwaters leaving the province would flow directly into the Sirikit Dam. Notably, rain clouds over the region were also decreasing. Those two factors reduced concerns about widespread effects in other provinces.
Downstream communities in Nan nevertheless remained directly exposed. The Interior Ministry therefore coordinated evacuation operations with the Public Health Ministry. Administrative and health agencies were ordered to identify vulnerable residents along the expected flood route. Bedridden patients and elderly residents received particular attention.
The evacuation instructions were explicit. Vulnerable residents must be moved to shelters before floodwaters arrive. Officials should not wait for homes, roads or communities to become inundated. As part of this, shelters must be ready to receive people before local conditions deteriorate.
The flooding had already damaged critical infrastructure. High-voltage electricity poles fell, leaving more than 27,000 people without power. Consequently, the Provincial Electricity Authority began urgent work to restore the electricity network. Backup generators were also prepared for deployment into affected communities.
Hospitals and shelters get power priority as Nan flood response secures water and communications
Hospitals have priority for emergency electricity supplies. Evacuation centres are also receiving priority as restoration work continues. Beyond that, emergency teams must maintain power where displaced residents and medical personnel are concentrated.
Drinking water has become another major part of the operation. Nan province is working with the Nan Provincial Administrative Organisation and partner networks. Together, they are supplying drinking water, food and other essential items to flood victims.
On another front, the Provincial Waterworks Authority is providing bottled drinking water. Mobile water purification units are also available through the DDPM. Officials said existing supplies and purification capacity were sufficient for immediate requirements.
Communications systems are being reinforced at the same time. The DDPM has coordinated with mobile network operators True, AIS and NT. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society is also involved in the communications response. The objective is uninterrupted service inside evacuation centres and affected areas.
Heavy machinery is meanwhile being prepared for the next phase. Equipment can be deployed immediately once floodwaters retreat sufficiently. That will allow recovery work to start quickly across damaged communities.
Flood watch expands to northeast as Yotsanun orders stronger preparations across northern provinces
The emergency watch extends well beyond Nan. The DDPM is closely monitoring water conditions across northeastern Thailand. Heavy rainfall is expected to continue until August 21. In particular, officials are watching upper northeastern provinces bordering the Mekong River.
Preparations are underway to issue warnings to provinces facing heightened risks. There is, however, some relief along the Mekong itself. River levels have decreased. As a result, natural waterways should drain more rapidly if additional flooding occurs.
Professor Dr Yotsanun has also ordered a broader emergency mobilisation across northern Thailand. His directive covers Nan, Phayao and Lamphun provinces. It includes stronger warnings, prepared shelters, emergency equipment and round-the-clock response capabilities.
On August 19, he signed an urgent letter MT 0608/W 14555 to the three provincial governors. He issued it as chairman of the Committee on Flood and Drought Prevention and Mitigation in the Northern Region. The directive contains eight measures requiring immediate implementation.
First, provincial agencies must intensify monitoring and continuously assess changing conditions. They must combine information from upstream locations with data from neighbouring provinces. This information will help predict water movements and support timely warnings.
Warning and emergency systems strengthened as KA-32 helicopter stands by for northern floods
Monitoring must focus particularly on locations already vulnerable to flooding. Densely populated communities are also priorities. Likewise, economic areas, tourist attractions and major transportation routes require close observation.
Second, provinces must upgrade early warning systems for greater speed and accuracy. Data analysis must be integrated with cell broadcast systems. Alerts must then move through provincial, district, local and subdistrict government networks.
Village heads and community leaders are also part of the warning chain. Through these channels, residents should receive immediate instructions as conditions change. The system combines electronic alerts with local communication networks already operating inside communities.
Third, emergency resources must be positioned in high-risk areas beforehand. Personnel, boats and water pumps must remain ready for immediate deployment. Operations must also be available around the clock.
Significantly, a KA-32 disaster relief helicopter is being placed on standby. The aircraft can evacuate people from areas difficult to reach by road. It can also deliver emergency supplies into communities isolated by flooding.
Shelters, warnings and command centres prepared as northern provinces brace for further flooding
Fourth, temporary shelters must be fully prepared before further evacuations become necessary. Centres require sufficient facilities, food and drinking water. Healthcare services must also be available. In addition, kitchen facilities and supplies must be adequate for displaced residents.
Fifth, officials must continuously distribute information about changing water conditions. Warnings must cover rivers, streams and low-lying areas. They must also reach floating raft operators and riverside restaurants.
Riverside residents are another priority group for information. Tourists travelling into threatened areas must also receive warnings. In this way, changing conditions can be communicated beyond permanent residential communities.
Sixth, provinces must establish incident command centres when emergencies occur. These centres will direct operations and mobilise available resources. Above all, vulnerable groups must receive priority assistance.
Recovery teams and satellite monitoring mobilised as agencies prepare for Nan flood damage and relief
Provincial teams must also coordinate with the Provincial Social Development Office. That cooperation will maintain current information about residents requiring additional help. Emergency commanders can then direct evacuation resources towards those groups.
Seventh, officials must accelerate recovery and relief after floodwaters retreat. Damage must be surveyed and recorded quickly. Detailed lists will then support the disbursement of government assistance.
Payments will follow government policy and Ministry of Finance emergency disaster relief regulations from 2025. Under the directive, assistance must be handled rapidly, comprehensively and fairly.
Eighth, provincial agencies under the Higher Education Ministry must support emergency operations around the clock. Their personnel can assist with flood response and moving possessions. Subsequently, they will support cleanup and recovery after water levels subside.
Professor Dr Yotsanun has also brought satellite monitoring into the emergency operation. He ordered the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency to continuously track conditions. GISTDA must analyse satellite data and distribute information to teams operating on the ground.
Nan remains on alert as floodwaters move downstream and emergency agencies prepare for further rain
Further meetings were ordered to follow developments in Nan. The National Water Management Command is involved in those assessments. So are the DDPM and Department of Water Resources. Other relevant agencies are also participating.
Additionally, officials are promoting a water-monitoring application during the emergency. The application can track water conditions and identify areas exposed to flooding. It also provides flood-risk alerts.
The wider operation is being conducted under Prime Minister’s Order No. 275/2569. That order established five regional committees for flood and drought prevention and mitigation. Professor Dr Yotsanun chairs the committee responsible for the northern region.
For Nan, the immediate picture remained fast-moving on Wednesday. Flooding had struck 72 villages across four districts. One person was reported dead. More than 27,000 people had lost electricity.
Pua district was recovering as the main floodwaters moved downstream. Tha Wang Pha and Phu Piang were next along the route. After that, officials expected the water to reach Nan city.
Residents move belongings higher as emergency equipment and satellite systems track the Nan flooding
Against that backdrop, residents were moving belongings to higher ground. Vulnerable people were being evacuated before their homes became surrounded. Generators were being positioned for hospitals and evacuation centres.
Elsewhere in the response, drinking water and purification equipment were being supplied. Communications networks were being reinforced across affected areas. Boats, pumps and heavy machinery were also being positioned for immediate deployment.
The KA-32 helicopter provides another emergency option for difficult locations. Satellite systems are tracking the wider situation from above. Meanwhile, provincial officials are feeding local information into the government’s monitoring operation.
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Further north and east, agencies remain alert for additional heavy rainfall through August 21. Upper northeastern provinces along the Mekong are also under close watch. Yet falling Mekong levels should improve drainage if further flooding develops.
In Nan, however, the immediate operation remains centred on the water moving downstream. Electricity restoration, evacuations, communications and relief supplies are proceeding simultaneously. Emergency teams are also preparing shelters and recovery equipment before the next communities face the floodwaters.
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