The Pathum Thani provincial administration has declared Sam Khok district a flood disaster zone, because the entire district is under water from spilling the overflowing Chao Phraya River.

More than 5,000 households, located outside the flood wall, are now flooded and many residents are using boats to travel from their houses to roads on higher ground, which are not yet flooded.

Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said today (Saturday) that many bags of relief supplies and survival kits have been distributed by officials to the flood victims, adding that sand bags have been provided to plug gaps in protective walls and dykes.

A resident of Bang Toey sub-district, in Sam Khok district, said that he left home at about 7am yesterday and returned about two hours later, only to find that he could not get his car back to his house because the water level has increased sharply.

He added that he had to park his car on the road and now uses a boat to get from home to the road to drive the car to the office.

Other residents said that they are used to flooding in their community, but the water level this time rose rapidly, after more water was discharged through the sluice gate in Bang Sai district of Ayutthaya province.