Deputy Prime Minister Yoschanan Wongsawat traveled by boat to closely monitor the flooding in Nan province, deciding to stay overnight for the second day to command the area. He ordered preparations to handle a new wave of floodwaters joining the current flow, maintaining 24-hour vigilance and providing assistance until the situation is resolved.
On 20 August 2026, following a press briefing at the Single Command Center established to prevent and resolve flood problems in Nan province, Mr. Yoschanan Wongsawat Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, serving as Chairman of the Committee on Flood and Drought Prevention and Resolution in Northern Thailand, together with Mr. Chainarong Wongyai, Governor of Nan province; Mr. Nopparat Thawong, President of the Nan Provincial Administrative Organization; Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, former Minister of Public Health; and Mr. Songyot Ramsut, former Member of Parliament for Nan province, led a delegation to visit the flood-affected areas to monitor the situation and encourage victims closely.
They visited a quarantine center in Nan municipality to meet and inquire about the well-being of residents. It was found that the affected people remain in good spirits, feel safe, and are preparing to return soon to restore and clean their homes. Meanwhile, Mr. Yoschanan instructed relevant officials to ensure adequate food, clean drinking water, and bedding supplies, as well as to prepare essential medicines and medical supplies to continuously care for residents’ health until after the floodwaters recede.
The delegation then proceeded to the Phumin-Tha Li community to offer encouragement, distribute drinking water and survival bags to alleviate immediate hardships, before moving on to the second location at Klang Wiang municipality to hand out survival bags and assess the situation. To reach this area, the Deputy Prime Minister's team had to travel by boat through floodwaters to reach homes severely affected by flooding, where water levels were about 1.50 meters high. It is anticipated that a new surge of floodwater will join the current flow within the next two hours.
Additionally, many households in this area have elderly residents living alone. This community serves as the final water reception point before all floodwaters flow into the dam downstream. The key emphasis is on preparing to mobilize all available resources to urgently assist in relief, rehabilitation, and repairing damaged homes.
Next, the team traveled to the Department of Public Works bridge, which crosses the Nan River and connects Wiang Sa and Lai Nan subdistricts, to continuously monitor the water situation. They found that the Nan River water level had risen and was flowing over the bridge, cutting off transportation on this route. At the same time, floodwaters had inundated the surrounding community areas, prompting officials and locals to urgently mobilize sandbags to form barriers to prevent and mitigate further hardship.
Regarding this visit to assist the affected residents, the Deputy Prime Minister’s team decided to stay overnight in Nan province for the second consecutive day to monitor the flood situation closely around the clock. He confirmed he would remain on site to command the operations and coordinate timely assistance in case of emergencies until the flood crisis is resolved. .
