PATHUM THANI — 8 October 2026, Local officials in Pathum Thani have begun using EM balls and aeration machines to tackle deteriorating water quality in an irrigation canal as floodwater drainage causes the water to turn black and develop a foul smell.
Dr. Wirasak Hadda, president of Khlong Sam Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (SAO), joined the Public Health and Environment Division, community leaders and local environmental volunteers in throwing EM balls into Irrigation Canal 3, opposite Wat Kerd Kaeo Udom in Khlong Sam, Khlong Luang district.
The EM balls are being used to prevent and treat wastewater in areas where the water has begun turning black and developing an unpleasant smell. Officials plan to distribute EM balls throughout Khlong Sam in all areas where the water has started to deteriorate. Aeration machines are also being installed and operated to increase oxygen levels in the water.
Dr. Wirasak said the water situation began worsening after Khlong Sam SAO pumped water from Khlong Sam into Khlong Rapi Phat and then further into Khlong Rangsit. The water in the canals subsequently began turning black and smelling of sewage.
He said part of the problem was believed to be wastewater discharged from residential communities without treatment. He understood that residents needed to drain water quickly to deal with flooding, but such drainage could also worsen water quality in the canals.
As an initial measure, the Khlong Sam SAO has brought in EM balls to improve water quality and installed aeration machines to increase oxygen levels. The aim is to reduce wastewater problems and allow aquatic life to survive. Dr. Wirasak said the water had only recently begun to deteriorate, so prompt action could help control the situation before it became more serious.
Regarding applications for government compensation for flood-affected residents, Dr. Wirasak said he had instructed the Welfare Division and relevant officials to visit every community to collect evidence of residents’ losses, including photographs, house registration documents and identity cards. The local authority is also collecting information from residents who have registered directly through government channels.
He said that once residents registered through the government system and their applications were approved, compensation should be allocated as quickly as possible. There should not be procedures requiring residents to repeatedly prepare documents or submit the same information to local authorities, although the Khlong Sam SAO was ready to collect and prepare any additional evidence needed.
Dr. Wirasak also proposed that the government establish a direct channel for residents to report problems or obstacles with compensation applications. If applicants encounter problems with their submissions or documents, the issues should be resolved within the government system, reducing the need to send cases back and forth between central government agencies and local authorities and making the assistance process faster and more efficient. The Khlong Sam SAO will continue visiting communities and collecting evidence of residents’ losses.
Speaking with frustration, Dr. Wirasak called on government agencies to speed up compensation payments for people affected by the flooding after Khlong Sam was officially declared a disaster-affected area.
He said that once a disaster area had been declared, authorities should use house registration and existing government databases to provide assistance without placing an additional burden on residents to prepare large amounts of documentation. Since Khlong Sam had already been declared a flood disaster area, he said it meant residents had been affected and the government should therefore be able to provide compensation immediately without requiring each household to submit extensive additional evidence.
He proposed that the government process applications online by collecting information and allocating budgets to the affected areas. Residents unable to use online systems should be allowed to submit their information through local administrative organisations, which could enter the data and forward it to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).
He also praised the government’s approach to an insurance-related payment scheme scheduled to begin on 2 October, saying Khlong Sam had already collected information from several hundred households and had been told approvals would be issued soon.
He said the same approach should be applied to flood relief, allowing residents to submit information through an appropriate channel before government agencies review, approve and quickly pay compensation. He also proposed that Pathum Thani province consider making Khlong Sam the first area to receive the relevant flood assistance.
Regarding the size of Khlong Sam, Dr. Wirasak said the subdistrict currently has around 30,000 households and nearly 100,000 registered residents, while its estimated unregistered population is around 300,000. A large number of residents have been affected by the flooding.
Once an area has been declared a disaster zone, he said, the government should use its existing household registration database to provide assistance and pay compensation according to the applicable criteria, such as 5,000 baht or 9,000 baht.
“People are already suffering. Their homes are flooded, and the area has already been declared a disaster zone. The government has a duty to manage the situation and allocate the budget. That’s all,” Dr. Wirasak said.