Phuket Issues Red Flood Alert as Bang Yai Canal Rises and Roads Become Impassable

Canal communities told to move belongings upstairs

Phuket City Municipality issued a red flood alert at 7.40am on October 29, 2026, as persistent rain and runoff from surrounding areas pushed up water levels in Bang Yai Canal. Residents and businesses beside the canal were urged to move electrical appliances, valuables and other possessions to higher levels before water could enter their properties.

The warning followed a rapid rise recorded the previous day. Phuket City Mayor Supachok La-ongphet said on October 28 that the canal had risen by 80 centimetres in less than 30 minutes. Municipal crews were already operating pumps and equipment to push water downstream, particularly near the municipal engineering division and the canal outlet around Saphan Hin.

Flooding was disrupting travel elsewhere on the island by early morning on October 29. Karon Municipality temporarily closed Khok Tanot Road, while small cars and motorcycles could not pass the road outside Wat Tai in Chalong at 7.45am. Chalong Municipality warned drivers away from the Khok Tanot traffic-light junction at 8.10am.

Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) also sent a Cell Broadcast warning to people in Phuket City Municipality through coordination with mobile operators AIS, True and NT. The department urged people in low areas and beside waterways to watch water levels, prepare their belongings, guard against electric shocks and look after vulnerable residents.

Phuket City was facing pressure from both local rainfall and water arriving from outside the municipality. As a receiving area downstream, the city had to drain incoming runoff while preparing for further rain.

Warnings built over several days

The October 29 alert followed an earlier warning from the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR). Its 12th warning of 2026 covered 14 southern provinces for October 26 to 29, with risks including flash floods, rapid runoff and rivers overflowing their banks.

ONWR's water situation report at 7am on October 26 recorded 128 millimetres of rainfall in Phuket, the highest reported total in the South. By October 28, municipal officials were warning canal communities and accelerating drainage ahead of an expected rise in the sea level that night.

• October 26, 7am: ONWR recorded 128 millimetres of rain in Phuket and warned of flooding across the South.
• October 28: Mayor Supachok reported an 80 centimetre rise in Bang Yai Canal in less than 30 minutes.
• October 28, around 11pm to midnight: The municipality expected the highest sea level of the night and sought to drain water beforehand.
• October 29, 7.40am: Phuket City Municipality issued its red flood alert.
• October 29, 7.45am and 8.10am: Warnings identified roads in Chalong that small vehicles could not pass.
• October 29, 11am: The Hydro-Informatics Institute updated its assessment of areas requiring flood surveillance over the next 24 and 48 hours.

The sequence shows why officials were watching accumulated rainfall as well as the latest downpour. Water from earlier rain was still moving through the drainage network when more rain arrived.

Why Bang Yai Canal was under pressure

Mayor Supachok identified water flowing into Phuket City from surrounding areas as a central concern on October 28. A canal can rise quickly even when rain at a particular location briefly weakens, because runoff from elsewhere continues to reach it.

High sea levels added another constraint. Water flowing toward the coast has more difficulty escaping when the sea is high at the outlet. Municipal crews therefore sought to remove as much water as possible before the expected peak around 11pm to midnight on October 28, creating space for the next rainfall.

Pumps and water propulsion equipment were installed and operating at several locations, including near Saphan Hin at the lower end of Bang Yai Canal. The municipality was checking equipment and adjusting its response as conditions changed.

Officials could not yet say when the rain would pause or how much additional runoff would enter the city. That uncertainty made canal levels and local warnings especially relevant for households deciding when to move possessions.

Flooded roads disrupt Chalong, Karon and Wichit

Karon Municipality closed Khok Tanot Road because floodwater posed risks to people and property. In neighbouring Chalong, the road outside Wat Tai, formally Wat Latthiwanaram, was impassable to small cars and motorcycles at 7.45am.

Chalong Municipality issued another warning at 8.10am for the Khok Tanot traffic-light junction, where small vehicles could not get through. Drivers were urged to avoid the junction and use extra caution elsewhere.

Flooding was also reported at the entrance to the Khok Tanot community, on Chao Fa West Road, outside Nakok Market, at Chalong intersection, on Luang Pho Chaem Road and along the route to Samran Market. In Wichit, affected locations included Sakdidet Road toward Ao Makham and an area near a battery shop by Dawroong School.

Patong also experienced reported street flooding. A social media post described submerged cars and people wading through water reaching chest height in low areas, and said similar flooding had struck two days earlier. The municipal notices gave more specific guidance for road users, identifying locations where small vehicles could not pass.

For residents travelling to work, school or markets, the disruption extended beyond the canal itself. Several flooded junctions and connecting roads were affecting movement across southern Phuket.

More heavy rain and rough seas forecast

The Thai Meteorological Department forecast thundery showers across 70% of the southern west coast, with very heavy rain in parts of Phuket. The percentage describes the share of the forecast area expected to experience showers, rather than how long rain would last at any one address.

Departmental radar observations showed moderate to very heavy rain across nine southern provinces. The department attributed the unsettled conditions to a low pressure area over the Andaman Sea and easterly winds crossing Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand. A high pressure system from China was also covering upper Thailand and the South China Sea.

Waves in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand could exceed two metres during thundery showers. Boat operators were urged to check their routes, navigate cautiously and avoid storm areas, while small boats were advised to remain ashore.

An earlier forecast expected rainfall to ease across much of Thailand from October 29 to 31, although parts of the South's eastern coast could still receive heavy rain. Phuket's October 29 local warnings called for continued precautions while heavy rain and incoming runoff were affecting the island.

Which Phuket areas face the next watches?

The Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII), a public organisation under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, identified Chalong and Rawai as Phuket areas requiring close monitoring for flash floods during the 24 hours after its 11am assessment on October 29.

Its separate watch for the following 48 hours covered Kathu subdistrict in Kathu district, Mai Khao in Thalang district, and Chalong and Rawai in Mueang Phuket district. The longer watch focused on the risk from accumulated rainfall.

Flash flooding means water rises quickly, sometimes leaving little time to move people or possessions. Flooding from accumulated rainfall can also develop as waterways fill and drainage struggles to remove successive rounds of rain. Chalong and Rawai appeared in both assessment periods.

Phuket City Municipality's canal warning and HII's watches covered different areas and purposes. Households beside Bang Yai Canal were being told to prepare for possible overflow, while communities elsewhere on the island were also under surveillance for rapidly rising water or flooding after further rainfall.

Southern provinces share the flood threat

HII identified 10 provinces for heightened surveillance: Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Trang. Its assessment warned of flash floods, rapid runoff, river overflows and urban flooding.

Chumphon joined Phuket in the institute's assessment of flash flood risks over the next 24 hours. Named communities were spread across Tha Sae, Pathio and Mueang Chumphon districts. The 48 hour watch also covered communities in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Phuket.

At noon on October 29, the Thai Meteorological Department's Southern East Coast Meteorological Centre reported continuing heavy rain in Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thap Sakae, Bang Saphan and Bang Saphan Noi districts. In Chumphon, rain bands were affecting Pathio, Tha Sae and Mueang Chumphon.

The centre warned about slow drainage, standing water, rivers overflowing, strong gusts and waves exceeding two metres. Communities near hillsides and foothills were also alerted to flash floods and rapid runoff, while boat operators were advised to remain ashore.

ONWR's earlier warning covered 14 provinces, including Satun, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat farther south. Its geographic coverage and warning period were broader than HII's later assessment of priority surveillance areas.

Drainage and reservoir preparations

ONWR instructed agencies to pay particular attention to places receiving more than 90 millimetres of accumulated rain within 24 hours and locations with repeated flooding. Officials were told to inspect embankments, remove drainage obstructions and coordinate water releases from upstream to downstream while accounting for tides.

Reservoir storage was another concern. Rajjaprabha Dam in Surat Thani held more than 80% of its capacity, and ONWR called for close monitoring of medium and small reservoirs above that level across the 14 southern provinces.

Across Thailand, reservoirs held 66.76 billion cubic metres of water as of October 25, or 83% of total capacity. Usable water stood at 42.63 billion cubic metres, or 75% of usable capacity. Those national figures provided a wider picture of water storage while Phuket's immediate response centred on canal drainage and flooded streets.

ONWR also directed agencies to prepare personnel and emergency equipment and give advance warnings so residents in threatened areas would have time to evacuate if necessary.

Emergency contacts for residents

Phuket City Municipality urged residents in Talat Nuea and Talat Yai to follow official announcements and monitor Bang Yai Canal levels. Residents were also directed to the Phuket mobile weather monitoring station's online service for canal updates.

DDPM advised people needing help to contact district officials, subdistrict heads, village heads, local government representatives or community leaders. Its warning called for precautions against electric shocks and attention to vulnerable people.

• Phuket City disaster prevention and mitigation: 076-211111 or 199.
• Phuket City municipal hotline: 1132, available 24 hours.
• Karon disaster prevention and mitigation: 076-330-913 or 199, available 24 hours.
• DDPM emergency hotline: 1784.

For canal households, the immediate instruction was to move electrical appliances and valuables above possible floodwater. For road users, the named closures and impassable junctions were the clearest guide to places to avoid while municipal crews monitored conditions.

Key Points

• Phuket City issued a red flood alert at 7.40am on October 29 as Bang Yai Canal rose after persistent rain and incoming runoff.
• The mayor reported that the canal had risen 80 centimetres in less than 30 minutes on October 28.
• Khok Tanot Road was temporarily closed, and small vehicles could not pass several locations in Chalong.
• Chalong and Rawai were placed under a flash flood watch for the next 24 hours after HII's October 29 assessment.
• The 48 hour surveillance areas in Phuket included Kathu, Mai Khao, Chalong and Rawai.
• Further heavy rain and waves exceeding two metres in storms prompted warnings for residents, drivers and boat operators.
• Emergency assistance was available through municipal services and DDPM's 1784 hotline.