Thailand floods villages to protect capital

Stilt houses in villages north of Bangkok are no longer high enough to stay dry as Thai authorities deliberately flood riverside communities to spare the capital.

Inside the home of Kamonchanok Sathaphonamonwut, raised more than three metres above the ground in Ayutthaya province, her family of three sleeps on makeshift platforms and cannot use the waterlogged toilet.

Her village has been flooded six years in a row, pushing some to move away, while others have raised their houses higher.

“Our area simply cannot cope with this much water anymore,” the 34-year-old said, wading through her soaked home.

But while authorities prioritise protecting Bangkok and other business hubs from floods, “when it comes to our residential communities, they neglect us”, she said.

Thailand experiences flooding every year during the monsoon season, and scientists say human-made climate change has made heavy rain and floods more frequent and severe.