Broken Canal Dike Submerges Thousand Rai of Chai Nat Rice Fields
A breached canal dike in Chai Nat has submerged over 1,000 rai of rice fields at harvest-ready stage after heavy rains swelled the Chao Phraya River system. Farmers face tens of thousands of baht in losses with no means to drain the floodwa
Heavy rains have sent the Chao Phraya River to dangerous levels, with massive volumes from Huay Khun Kaew stream in Uthai Thani flowing into Klong Kratong in Nong Bua subdistrict, Wat Sing district, Chai Nat province before reaching the Chao Phraya and Thai rivers. The overflow has breached embankments and inundated rice paddies across more than a thousand rai at a critical growth stage.
Local farmer Nairong Lasri identified two main breach points: a newly built canal dike along Huay Khun Kaew that collapsed under the water pressure, causing rapid flooding, and continuous water level rises that have repeatedly overtopped the barriers. Lasri's own 11 rai of rice at full growth stage have been completely submerged under the surge, causing tens of thousands of baht in damage. With no way to drain the water quickly enough, farmers have resigned themselves to watching their crops be destroyed before their eyes.
