Thai Enquirer News Summary – September 29, 2026

September 29, 2026 witnessed heavy rainfall in Thailand, improving somewhat by late evening when Bangkok experienced sunshine. Most inner city areas began to dry up, though suburban districts like Pathum Thani remained severely impacted. Concerns arose as many dams reached maximum or even over capacity, with Pasak Jolasid Dam at 96.49% full.

Authorities announced plans to gradually release water from September 30 to October 2, raising the Pasak River by 3.50 to 4.00 meters. Similar adjustments at the Mae Klong Dam could elevate downstream water levels by up to 2.50 meters, triggering flood warnings in five provinces. The Royal Irrigation Department is actively managing water distribution and deploying pumping operations to speed drainage into Gulf of Thailand, Bang Pakong, and Nakhon Nayok rivers.

As of September 28, the flood affected 27 provinces, 151 districts, 792 sub-districts, and 4,087 villages, encompassing Bangkok. 576,449 households—1,793,887 people—were impacted. Flood officials anticipate main canal water levels to recede in three days, allowing excess water to flow into the Chao Phraya River via Saen Saep and Prawet Buri Rom canals.

Despite some improvement, around eleven districts still require significant aid. The Thai government plans to invest 497 million Baht to upgrade the Metrological Department, aiming to match NASA's capabilities, in response to past criticism of delayed weather warnings.