Ayutthaya’s Bang Ban District Bears the Brunt to Shield Bangkok from Floods
As heavy monsoon rains continue to sweep across Thailand, the low-lying Bang Ban district in Ayutthaya Province once again finds itself inundated — a familiar sacrifice made to spare Bangkok from the worst of seasonal flooding. For nearly a decade, Bang Ban has served as a water-retention zone, absorbing overflow from the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries to protect downstream economic centers.
Since being designated as a flood-retention area in 2017, Bang Ban has faced increasingly severe inundations during the six-month rainy season. Residents now say the water levels rise higher and linger longer each year, making it harder for communities to survive prolonged submersion.
“People tell us to get used to floods because this is a retention zone. But how can we, when the water keeps rising and lasts longer every time?” asked village head Sawas Sanyawiri, speaking to Thai PBS World. In the past, he explained, floods would rise to around two meters and recede within two months. Now, they can submerge second floors and last well over three months.
The Chao Phraya and Noi rivers have overflowed since August, pushing massive runoff into Ayutthaya’s floodplains. Many residents have evacuated to higher ground, but some, like Sawas, remain in their partially submerged homes, relying on raised platforms and small boats to move around.
Government relief has been limited. Each affected household receives 9,000 baht, while farmers can claim up to 10,000 baht for damaged land. Locals, however, say these sums barely cover the costs of survival or home repairs. “These remedies are far from enough,” said Sawas. “We can’t earn a living when surrounded by water, and once it’s gone, we have to rebuild everything ourselves.”
Nearby, 77-year-old resident Sawaeng Janpitak said she has endured flooding for years but feels increasingly weary. “It happens every year, and nothing changes,” she said. Another resident from Sena district reported that her home has been underwater for over two months and that she has developed a fungal infection due to prolonged exposure to stagnant water.
According to the Royal Irrigation Department (RID), around one-fourth of Ayutthaya Province — including Bang Ban and Sena — serves as a designated flood-retention zone under Thailand’s national water-management policy. Farmers are instructed to finish harvesting by mid-September each year before the water arrives.
Supachai Mapol, director of the RID’s Phak Hai Operation and Maintenance Project, said that construction of the Bang Ban–Bang Sai drainage canal, which is 95% complete, should help accelerate water release and reduce flood duration. The project, part of a broader flood-mitigation strategy, has been fast-tracked amid worsening conditions.
Yet some locals doubt that the canal alone will solve the problem. Sawas questioned how excess water will be handled once it reaches Bang Sai. “If downstream areas can’t handle more flow, the water will just back up again,” he warned.
Experts have echoed these concerns. Asst. Prof. Dr. Arthit Thongin of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University told The Nation Thailand that flood distribution is uneven because roads and infrastructure often act as barriers, sparing some communities while others drown. He argued that better planning, equitable compensation, and proactive shelter setups are needed.
Assoc. Prof. Seree Supratid, director of the Centre for Climate Change and Disasters at Rangsit University, has urged the government to overhaul its flood-management approach. He called for the establishment of new retention zones further north, before runoff reaches the Chao Phraya Basin, and recommended the use of AI-based predictive systems to improve response planning.
Thailand’s long-term strategy includes nine major projects across the lower Chao Phraya Basin, such as expanding the Tha Chin River’s capacity and upgrading irrigation systems at an estimated cost of 95 billion baht. For now, however, the people of Bang Ban continue to wade through the floodwaters — their sacrifice once again keeping the capital dry.