BANGKOK, Thailand – Heavy rainfall across Thailand has pushed 22 medium and small reservoirs beyond their storage capacity, prompting authorities to order urgent water management measures as the country braces for further downpours. Officials have directed relevant agencies to adjust discharge rates in line with forecast inflows throughout the rainy season, while also conducting dam safety inspections and clearing waterways of obstructions to improve drainage efficiency.

Heavy Rain Forecast For Most Of Thailand With Flash Flood Warnings

The warning comes as floodwaters in Nan province have begun receding, with nearly all cleanup operations completed and public utilities restored to normal function. However, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has placed 51 provinces on high alert for flash floods, forest runoff, and inundation through September 2, with the North and upper Northeast considered most at risk. The four main dams in the Chao Phraya River Basin currently have sufficient capacity to absorb additional inflows.

Deputy Interior Minister Jeseth Thaiseth has instructed disaster prevention authorities to closely monitor high-risk areas, particularly Nan province, where a major flood event occurred earlier this month. Authorities are especially concerned about rivers including the Yom, Nan, Kok, and Yuwam, where water levels could rise above riverbanks. A joint monitoring centre has been established to assess the situation twice daily.

Phu Langka’s ‘Naga Eye’ Emerges After the Rain

The crisis highlights Thailand’s growing water-security challenge, where flooding and drought are increasingly occurring simultaneously rather than as seasonal events. While overall national water storage has risen to 65 percent of capacity, some regions such as the Central region remain at only 40 percent capacity. The government has intensified coordination between irrigation and local authorities, with major dams expected to increase downstream discharge, raising river levels and potentially affecting low-lying communities.

-Thailand News (TN)