SAMUT PRAKAN, THAILAND – A rare tornado tore through a residential community in Samut Prakan on October 12, destroying five houses and adding to a wider flood emergency that left 387,568 people across 15 provinces affected, authorities said.
Tornado struck Bang Bo community
The twister swept through Moo 3 in the Preng subdistrict of Bang Bo district, Samut Prakan, churning household items into the air and reducing wooden homes to wreckage. Local residents and video footage captured the sudden, violent vortices that are rarely seen in Thailand.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my 70 years,” a shocked neighbour said, standing amid the debris. Officials reported five houses were damaged, three of them severely, and residents were left stunned by the speed and force of the storm.
Elderly resident stranded amid separate floods
About 150 kilometres away in Angthong province, an 85-year-old woman identified as Noy endured rising waters in her partly flooded house in Thewarat subdistrict. She and volunteers took refuge on raised platforms as water levels approached the second floor.
Relatives and volunteers delivered food and supplies, but uncertainty remained. “We don’t know when the water will finally go,” a family member said, as the wooden structure risked collapse even after water levels began to fall slowly.
Widespread flooding across 15 provinces
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said floods continued to affect 15 provinces across northern, central and northeastern Thailand. The provinces listed by the agency included Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan and Uthai Thani in the north; Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Angthong, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom in central Thailand; and Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Chachoengsao in the northeast.
In total, 116,043 households and 387,568 people were reported affected. Authorities said rescue teams and heavy machinery were being deployed to assist communities and clear waterways as part of ongoing relief efforts.
Government promises aid but questions remain
The government announced an aid package offering 9,000 baht (about 225 euros) to each affected household, and ordered provincial officials to assess damage so funds could be released after approval.
Many residents, however, questioned whether the sum would be sufficient. Damage to homes and agricultural land can run into the hundreds of thousands of baht, leaving some families facing long-term economic hardship even after immediate relief is provided.
Experts weigh the causes and preparedness
Meteorologists and disaster experts said the tornado was unusual for Thailand, where seasonal flooding is common but tornadoes are rare. Some observers suggested the event might be linked to changing weather patterns, though specialists were divided and cautioned against drawing immediate conclusions.
Thailand faces recurring seasonal floods and increasingly unpredictable weather, and officials have acknowledged the need for improved community preparedness, especially for vulnerable residents such as the elderly.
As rescue and recovery efforts continued, authorities urged local communities to remain vigilant and to support swift damage assessments so aid can reach those most in need. Local media and the Thai News Agency reported on the unfolding situation and relief measures.