BANGKOK, THAILAND – Central Thailand remained under critical flood conditions as extreme tides pushed back river water and delayed drainage to the sea despite reduced dam discharges.
High tides trap floodwaters for weeks
Water expert Chavalit Chanthararat warned that the situation in the Chao Phraya river basin would stay critical for at least 10 days because extreme tides were blocking the outflow.
“The spring tides from 19 to 29 November will hinder the drainage of the water,”
said Chavalit Chanthararat, water expert at Team Group. Floodwaters from Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya and Suphan Buri could not reach the sea, creating a dangerous backlog that, according to forecasts, would only ease after 28 November in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok, and in some areas not before 7 December.
Dam releases cut but relief is slow
Authorities attempted to ease the pressure by cutting dam outflows, a move confirmed by Paitoon Kengkarnchang, deputy secretary-general of the national water resources authority. The discharge from the Bhumibol Dam in Tak was reduced from 55 to 45 million cubic metres per day, while the flow at the Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat was lowered from 2,800 to 2,400–2,700 cubic metres per second, bringing only gradual relief to inundated areas.
Communities submerged and distrustful
In Ayutthaya’s Ban Mai subdistrict, streets had been under water for three months, with the water level falling by just six centimetres the previous day.
“People are still hesitating to bring their valuables back home,”
said local media, reporting that traumatised residents feared the next flood wave. The region had suffered repeated flooding in the past, leaving confidence in official all-clear messages low.
Backflow worsens conditions in Phitsanuloke
While some provinces hoped for slow improvement, conditions deteriorated in the Bang Rakam district of Phitsanuloke, where flood levels rose again. Runoff from neighbouring Sukhothai pushed additional water into already flooded zones, and there was no sign of relief, forcing residents to continue relying on boats for supplies.
Economic strain across central Thailand
The prolonged flood crisis severely affected the economy of central Thailand, with agricultural land submerged and key transport routes blocked. Authorities appealed for public patience, describing the reduced dam releases as an important first step, but they acknowledged that it would take weeks before conditions normalised and the country could fully begin to recover from the water.