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Thailand Water Management: Floods, Drought, and Pollution Risks

Thailand Water Management: Floods, Drought, and Pollution Risks

Prachachat•Economy•53m ago

Reader Briefing

Thailand is managing simultaneous risks of southern flooding, Chao Phraya basin drainage, and preparing water reserves for the 2026/2027 dry season.

  • •National reservoir capacity reached 82% or 66,308 million cubic meters as of November 13, 2026.
  • •The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) warns of heavy rain in southern provinces from November 11-14 and 18-21, 2026.
  • •The Royal Irrigation Department is increasing water discharge from the Chao Phraya Dam to 1,000-1,200 cubic meters per second.
  • •Water quality issues including arsenic contamination in Chiang Rai and pollution in Prachinburi are being addressed.

Overview

  • •National reservoirs held 66,308 million cubic meters of water, representing 82% of total capacity on November 13, 2026.
  • •The Office of the National Water Resources warned of flash floods and landslides in southern provinces including Chumphon, Surat Thani, and Narathiwat during November 11-14 and 18-21, 2026.
  • •The Royal Irrigation Department increased discharge from the Chao Phraya Dam to 1,000-1,200 cubic meters per second starting November 10, 2026.
  • •High tide is affecting drainage in the Bang Pakong, Chao Phraya, Tha Chin, and Mae Klong rivers from November 9-14, 2026.
  • •The Office of the National Water Resources is collaborating with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop water quality test kits for arsenic in Chiang Rai.
  • •The Thai government will present Mekong River water quality issues to the Mekong River Commission in Hanoi on November 20, 2026.
  • •Thailand will host the 5th Lower Mekong Area Leaders Summit in April 2027.

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Key Entities

Organization

Office of the National Water Resources(สำนักงานทรัพยากรน้ำแห่งชาติ)ℹ️
The agency responsible for water allocation planning and issuing flood and sea-level rise warnings.
Royal Irrigation Department(กรมชลประทาน)
The department managing water discharge from the Chao Phraya Dam.
Pollution Control Department(กรมควบคุมมลพิษ)ℹ️
The agency reporting on water quality and arsenic levels in Chiang Rai.
Mekong River Commission(คณะกรรมาธิการแม่น้ำโขง)ℹ️
An international body where Thailand will push for cooperation on Mekong River water data and monitoring.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology(สถาบันเทคโนโลยีแมสซาชูเซตส์)ℹ️
An institution collaborating to develop water quality test kits for use in Chiang Rai.
Thai National Mekong Committee(คณะกรรมการแม่น้ำโขงแห่งชาติไทย)
The committee that approved the framework for discussions at the 33rd MRC Council meeting.

Place

Chiang Rai(เชียงราย)ℹ️
A province where arsenic contamination has been detected in some water locations.
Prachinburi(ปราจีนบุรี)ℹ️
A province being proposed as a pollution control zone due to water pollution issues.
Hanoi(ฮานอย)ℹ️
The city in Vietnam hosting the MRC Council meeting on November 20, 2026.
Vietnam(เวียดนาม)ℹ️
The country where the MRC Council meeting will take place.
Myanmar(เมียนมา)ℹ️
The country Thailand plans to consult with for long-term water quality solutions.
Chao Phraya Dam(เขื่อนเจ้าพระยา)ℹ️
The dam from which water discharge is being increased to manage basin levels.
Ratchaprapha Dam(เขื่อนรัชชประภา)ℹ️
A dam in the south with water levels at 75%.
Bang Lang Dam(เขื่อนบางลาง)ℹ️
A dam in the south with water levels at 53%.