Rayong is rushing to clear garbage after floodwaters receded. A scrap collector revealed finding valuable items mixed with the trash, including luxury watches, gold necklaces, and amulets, and is announcing a search for the owners to return them.
At 11:00 a.m. on 7 Oct 2026 GMT+7, in front of Supalai Ville Village, Moo 6, Choeng Noen Subdistrict, Mueang District, Rayong Province, Prachoen Heng-yee, also known as “Mayor Pek,” mayor of Choeng Noen Subdistrict, led municipal and related officials to urgently clean up garbage and damaged belongings caused by the major flood after water levels dropped and the situation began to ease. Many residents had gathered their damaged belongings into large piles.
The municipality deployed backhoe loaders, 10-wheel trucks, and machinery to scoop up and transport the trash out of the area to Rayong Provincial Administrative Organization’s landfill for disposal. Officials are working quickly to cover all areas so communities can return to normal as soon as possible.
Reporters found a group of scrap collectors sorting through the garbage piles. Mr. Kam, 50, a scrap collector, said he had been collecting scrap in front of this village for about three days. Most items were sorted to find those still usable, but during the search, valuable possessions were found mixed in with the discarded belongings.
Mr. Kam said he previously found three Rolex watches, gold necklaces, and amulets, which are believed to belong to flood victims, either swept away by water or mixed with items brought out for disposal. He is prepared to keep these items safe and will return them unconditionally if owners can verify ownership with proper evidence.
Mr. Kam added that the village has many households and was severely affected by flooding, damaging household belongings. Many families had to discard damaged items after the water receded, resulting in large piles of discarded goods.
Prachoen Heng-yee, or “Mayor Pek,” stated that this flood caused severe damage throughout Choeng Noen Subdistrict, with almost the entire area affected. Now that water levels are falling and the situation is returning to normal, restoration and garbage collection in the community are being expedited.
Regarding garbage collection, the municipality has informed residents to pile damaged flood items at designated points. For houses still having trash in front, municipal small trucks will collect and bring it to the designated collection points so large trucks and machinery can operate quickly.
In Moo 6, the collection point is set in front of Supalai Village, while in Moo 5 and Moo 1, items are gathered at Thamcharoen Pavilion. So far, over 50 percent of collection and transport has been completed. Efforts will continue until all points are cleared. The municipality is particularly concerned about leftover waste after flooding, especially food scraps, wet garbage, decayed items, and sewage, which can cause foul odors and be breeding grounds for disease, so prompt removal is critical to restore residents’ confidence and normal daily life.
Additionally, the municipality has assigned staff to coordinate with disaster prevention and mitigation officials to deploy fire trucks and water trucks to spray and clean roads, alleys, and affected village areas, washing away mud, dirt, and flood residues. Restoration efforts will continue until the situation fully normalizes.