The governor of Nakhon Nayok visited the site to command firefighting efforts for a wildfire in Pak Phli's rice fields, which damaged more than 10,000 rai. Forces were mobilized to control the situation overnight. He emphasized the prohibition of all types of open burning and stressed the urgent search for those responsible.
On 28 Jan 2026 at 08:00, at Wat Lam Bua Loi, Tha Ruea subdistrict, Pak Phli district, Nakhon Nayok province, the firefighting command post was established. Chanond Vasiksiri, governor of Nakhon Nayok, along with Police Lieutenant Santhiti Thamchai, deputy governor, monitored progress in managing the wildfire affecting several areas in Tha Ruea subdistrict, Pak Phli district. The agricultural damage is estimated to exceed 10,000 rai.
Currently, some fire remains in villages 1 (partial), 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Pak Phli subdistrict, Nakhon Nayok. Since 27 Jan 2026, all available resources—equipment and personnel—have been mobilized to extinguish the fire. Officials were divided into three teams for comprehensive response, including 27 fire trucks and over 200 personnel, working to suppress the fire and monitor to prevent spread to residential areas throughout the night.
Nakhon Nayok province has issued an order banning all open burning within its area from 15 Dec 2025 to 31 Mar 2026. Violators face strict legal penalties. Village heads, community leaders, and local officials have been assigned to report any fire incidents to investigators promptly, to summon landowners or lessees for questioning and to enforce the law rigorously.
The province emphasized it is taking the wildfire situation seriously and understands the context of Pak Phli district, which has over 40,000 rai of agricultural land. Most farmers cultivate deepwater rice, resulting in tall, long, and tough rice stubble after harvest, which is difficult to manage and may contribute to the practice of burning fields.
Nevertheless, Nakhon Nayok has been actively seeking solutions for managing rice stubble, including trials using oxygen-based microbial technology to decompose stubble, with cooperation from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The province is also accelerating production and adaptation of innovations to chop and shred stubble to facilitate plowing by farmers, while promoting agriculture that reduces burning by turning stubble into useful products to increase income.
The province requests cooperation from the public to refrain from all open burning and to monitor nearby areas vigilantly. If violations are detected, residents should immediately inform relevant authorities to enable rapid fire suppression, minimizing health impacts on the community.