Sukhothai flood situation improving as water levels fall below banks

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society Prasert Jantararuangtong, in his capacity as Chairman of the National Water Resources Committee (NWRC), reported on Sunday (3 August) that the flood situation in Sukhothai province has begun to ease. 

Although water levels in some sections of the Yom River remain high, all monitored points have now dropped below the riverbanks and continue to recede.

The Royal Irrigation Department is expediting repairs on damaged canal embankments along the Yom-Nan canal, particularly in Sawankhalok and Si Nakhon districts. Repairs to the Maplab embankment have already been completed, and urgent repairs on the Nong Pak Krathum embankment are expected to be finalised within one to two days.

Once all repairs are complete, water pumps will be installed to drain excess floodwater from agricultural areas into the river system. 

Current capacity is sufficient to handle the expected volume, with water drainage operations estimated to take around 5–7 days, helping to minimise crop losses.

Regarding the Sirikit Dam, which has been discharging water at a rate of 40 million cubic metres per day, Prasert confirmed that this rate will be maintained until August 10. 

He reassured the public that this release will not affect downstream areas. The dam remains structurally sound and is capable of holding an additional 1.6 billion cubic metres of water as of August 2.

Meanwhile, the Chao Phraya Dam has reduced its discharge rate to 1,000 cubic metres per second to minimise the impact on low-lying areas downstream, despite additional inflow from the Sirikit Dam during this period.

The government has instructed relevant agencies to continuously monitor weather conditions and water levels around the clock. This will allow water management strategies to be adjusted in real-time, helping to mitigate the impact on both upstream and downstream communities.