Elderly Woman Wades Flood Waters for Fish Sauce
An 78-year-old woman named Somphong has been stranded at her home in Chai Nat Province for three days amid floodwaters, forced to wade chest‑deep through the water to buy fish sauce for her meals. She suffers from multiple health conditions and has received no relief supplies, relying only on her dog for companionship. Villagers are calling for authorities to deliver drinking water and dry food to assist elderly residents unable to evacuate.
The 78-year-old woman, Somphong, described how she had not eaten lunch that day and decided to risk her life walking 30–40 meters through the floodwater to buy fish sauce to stir-fry the papaya she grows in front of her house, which is starting to rot from the water. Even though she thought, 'I might as well die,' knowing that salt does not make the dish as tasty as fish sauce, she grit her teeth and made the journey. Villagers in the area urge relevant agencies to quickly deliver relief supplies, especially drinking water and dry food, to ease the suffering of elderly and sick residents who cannot leave their homes. Overall, the floodwater in the area has receded slightly by about 10 centimeters, while the Chao Phraya Dam continues to maintain its outflow rate at 2,500 cubic meters per second.
