October 11: Floods still affect more than 3.1 million people in 21 Thai provinces and Bangkok, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said, as the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank open in the capital on Monday. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has told agencies to “closely assess flood risks and accelerate recovery work” and to “prepare evacuations before flooding begins rather than waiting until conditions become critical”, The Nation reported via The Star. The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rain in parts of the country until October 13.
Key highlights
- As of 6 am on Saturday, 3,158,615 people in 1,135,377 households were affected, and 53 people had died, according to DDPM figures reported by The Nation.
- Bangkok has the most affected households, about 329,000, followed by Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan. Prachin Buri has the most deaths, 23.
- The IMF and World Bank meetings run from October 12 to 18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, with about 20,000 participants from 190 countries expected, The Nation reported.
- Flood-relief payments have reached 48,600 households, roughly 12% of those expected to qualify.
- Anutin told officials to learn from last year’s floods in Hat Yai, when some bedridden patients could not be moved in time.
The flood toll
| Measure | October 8 | October 10 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| People affected | More than 3.13 million | 3,158,615 | Roughly unchanged |
| Households affected | More than 1.14 million | 1,135,377 | Roughly unchanged |
| Deaths | 44 | 53 | +9 |
| Area | 21 provinces and Bangkok; 110 districts | 21 provinces and Bangkok; 104 districts | −6 districts |
The change column is our calculation. By our count, nine more deaths were recorded in two days even as the number of flooded districts fell slightly, which suggests the toll is still rising as waters recede and damage surveys are completed.
| Province | Households affected | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | 329,000 | 4 |
| Pathum Thani | 246,818 | 2 |
| Samut Prakan | 223,346 | 9 |
| Ayutthaya | 63,534 | 1 |
| Prachin Buri | 59,832 | 23 |
| Chachoengsao | 54,729 | Not listed |
| Nakhon Nayok | 53,928 | 4 |
The rain warning
| Date | Very heavy rain | Heavy rain |
|---|---|---|
| October 10 | 7 provinces, including Kanchanaburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat | About 52 provinces, including Bangkok and nearby provinces |
| October 11 | 4 provinces: Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan | About 45 provinces, including Bangkok and nearby provinces |
| October 12 | 15 southern provinces, from Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan to Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat | |
| October 13 | 10 southern provinces, including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Phuket and Satun |
The weather office blamed a cold air mass from China over upper Thailand, combined with moisture carried by easterly and southeasterly winds and the southwest monsoon, and warned of flash floods near foothills and waterways. Waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand could exceed two metres in thunderstorms.
What Anutin has ordered
- Any water releases that could affect communities must be coordinated with local authorities, and residents warned in advance.
- Bangkok and provincial authorities should deploy crews and machinery to clear rubbish and restore areas where water has receded.
- Local authorities should send verified damage data in batches instead of waiting for all surveys to finish, to speed up aid.
- Provinces should identify communities that may need evacuation, and check whether water trucks, pumps and excavators can be sent to disaster areas.
Ahead of the meetings, the government had said large trucks and four-wheel-drive vehicles would be used to move delegates if roads flooded, Bloomberg reported via the South China Morning Post on October 6. That report put the number of delegates at more than 15,000; The Nation now expects about 20,000 participants. A late-September deluge dropped more than 304 mm of rain on Bangkok over several days, flooding roads and homes and disrupting flights. Our explainer on the meetings: IMF and World Bank meet in Bangkok: Asia’s growth forecasts.
What to watch
- Rain in the south on October 12 and 13, and whether new flooding hits provinces already struggling.
- Whether the meetings in Bangkok run without disruption.
- The pace of relief payments, now at about 12% of eligible households.
- Updated DDPM figures on deaths and affected households.
What it means
Thailand is hosting one of the world’s biggest economic gatherings while more than three million of its people are still dealing with floods. The government’s priority is to stop a repeat of last month’s chaos in the capital, but the larger task is outside the convention centre: in provinces such as Prachin Buri, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani, which account for many of the deaths and damaged homes, and in the south, where the rain is now heading. With Thailand’s growth forecast at 2.0%, the lowest in the World Bank’s latest table for the region, the cost of the floods will weigh on an economy that has little room to absorb it.
Sources
- The Nation/ANN, via The Star: Thai PM Anutin steps up flood response as Bangkok prepares for IMF-World Bank meetings
- The Nation/ANN, via The Star: Flooding affects 21 Thai provinces and Bangkok, hitting 1.13 million households
- Malay Mail (Bernama): Thailand floods since Sept 16 leave 44 dead as more than 3.1 million people affected
- The Nation: TMD issues warning No 8 for heavy rain on Oct 10–13
- Bloomberg, via South China Morning Post: Bangkok braces for fresh chaos as possible floods threaten IMF-World Bank summit
- IMF: 2026 Annual Meetings
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
