Nan – Flood victims in Pua District remain isolated from the outside world for the fourth day. Authorities are using drones to deliver food and drinking water while rushing the construction of a Bailey bridge to open access for assistance.
The flood situation in northern Thailand requires ongoing vigilance despite decreasing rainfall. Nan Province has been hardest hit after flash floods struck Pua District, with a massive flow of water inundating Mueang Nan District. Recently, water levels in the commercial center have almost returned to normal, shifting focus to cleanup and restoration of homes, shops, roads, and public areas.
A reporter from Nan Province on 22 Aug 2026 reported that a special task force from the Friends in Need (of 'Pa') Volunteer Foundation, the Thai Red Cross Society, along with the Prasat Boonsathan Foundation of Phitsanulok, disaster response drone teams from Kubota Company, and Singha Volunteer teams, are accelerating relief efforts in Pua District. After flash floods and landslides cut off access, residents in three subdistricts—Phu Kha, Sila Laeng, and Woranakhon—comprising 14 villages, 1,466 households, and over 4,000 people, have been isolated for four days.
Officials are using drones to transport food and drinking water across impassable areas, delivering supplies to village heads and residents waiting on the opposite side, who then distribute them to each village. This operation continues with deliveries of food, water, medicine, and essentials until the situation improves and the routes reopen.
The main cause is the collapse of the Phai Chao Bridge in Woranakhon Subdistrict, destroyed by flash floods. Additionally, a landslide at Huai Yen curve in Sila Laeng Subdistrict caused road subsidence and blocked the route, making access extremely difficult.
Meanwhile, Nan Highway District 2 and the Bridge Construction and Restoration Center 1 (Phichit) of the Department of Highways are rushing to transport Bailey bridge components to Doi Phu Kha area to build a temporary bridge, aiming to reconnect routes and enable aid to reach the isolated villages as soon as possible.
Colonel Piyapong Phorda, commander of the 32nd Ranger Battalion, ordered the battalion's special task force under the Pha Muang Task Force to deploy personnel to plan and support relief efforts, including transporting essential supplies and restoring routes amid heavily damaged terrain.
Currently, residents of all 14 villages continue to await food, drinking water, medicine, and hope that the temporary bridge construction will be completed soon to reopen access, reconnecting over 4,000 people with the outside world.