Floods affect 2.1 million across Bangkok and 20 Thai provinces

More than 2.1 million people remained affected by flooding across Bangkok and 20 Thai provinces on 17 October 2026, despite falling water levels, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).

The department’s 6am assessment recorded 704,699 affected households, comprising 2,148,896 people. Pathum Thani had the largest provincial household total, while almost 200,000 households remained affected in three districts of eastern Bangkok.

DDPM director-general Nirat Pongsitthaworn said heavy to very heavy rain, combined with runoff from northern Thailand flowing into the Central region, had prolonged the flooding. Officials were continuing emergency assistance while preparing damage assessments and records for financial relief.

Bangkok and Pathum Thani heavily affected

In Bangkok, flooding affected 196,008 households across Lat Krabang, Nong Chok and Min Buri, covering 16 subdistricts. The DDPM reported four deaths in the capital.

Neighbouring Pathum Thani recorded 216,276 affected households in Thanyaburi, Khlong Luang and Lam Luk Ka districts. Flooding covered 21 subdistricts and 244 villages, with two deaths reported.

Ayutthaya also remained extensively affected, with 71,453 households across all 16 districts included in the assessment. Other substantial household totals included 59,242 in Prachin Buri, 54,729 in Chachoengsao and 23,835 in Nakhon Nayok.

The department reported 26 deaths in Prachin Buri, nine in Samut Prakan, seven in Chachoengsao and six in Nakhon Nayok.

Water recedes, but flooding remains widespread

Outside Bangkok, the 17 October assessment covered 89 districts, 728 subdistricts and 5,577 villages. Water levels were falling in all 20 affected provinces and the three affected Bangkok districts.

The northern provinces still reporting flooding were Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan. In the East, affected communities remained in Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Chachoengsao and Chon Buri. The remaining 14 provinces were grouped under the Central region in the department’s update.

The number of people affected was lower than in the DDPM’s 12 October assessment, which recorded 2,458,895 people across 20 provinces and Bangkok. At that stage, water levels were still rising in Phitsanulok and Phetchaburi; by 17 October, both provinces were reporting falling levels.

Relief records and recovery work under way

The DDPM said it had deployed personnel and disaster-response machinery to assist flooded communities while continuing to monitor weather and water conditions.

Nirat instructed provincial offices and regional disaster prevention and mitigation centres to maintain assistance where flooding persisted. In areas where conditions were improving, officials were ordered to assess damage urgently and coordinate restoration work with other agencies.

Officials were also instructed to compile records of affected residents so assistance could be arranged under the relevant criteria and regulations. The update described preparations for relief rather than announcing a payment amount or disbursement date.

For residents needing help, the DDPM’s 12 October notice identified its 24-hour hotline, 1784, and official online channels as routes for reporting flood emergencies or requesting assistance. Recovery work was proceeding alongside continued support for communities still affected by floodwater.