Nakhon Sawan: When Water Turns a Street into a Spa
Flooded Streets, Soggy Dreams
A boat‑slinged video from the outskirts of Nakhon Sawan shows empty lanes soaked to the waist‑high line of brown water. Despite a flurry of sandbags and haphazard shutters, the streets are a soggy tableau that has turned local restaurants and street shops into unintended water parks.
Business Owners’ Dilemma
- Satharn Sae‑Chua – “I thought sandbags would save my shop. Turns out, they’d better be made of pizza dough.”
- At least seven people have lost their lives in the last week of floods that have unsettled 200,000 households across thirty provinces.
- By September 30, eighteen provinces were still swamped.
See It to Believe It
Drone footage shows a town where “dry land” is a myth, as commercial zones and vast fields are swallowed by the river’s surge. There’s no dry spot left in sight.
Heads‑Up for the Chao Phraya
- The authorities warn communities along this mighty river (the lifeline that also threads through Bangkok) that water levels could rise from Friday into next week.
- Bangkok’s Governor, Aswin Kwanmuang, assures that contingency plans are in place.
- Prime Minister Prayuth Chan‑ocha foresees a retreat of the waters in 10‑15 days, provided no further storms hit.
Just a “Managed” Disaster, According to the Government?
The ministries confidently claim the situation is under control, especially compared to the 2011 deluge that Lordran drowned hundreds of people and wiped out sprawling farmland—an ordeal that left Bangkok’s bustle in shambles.
