A typical scenario (an illustrative example based on common situations, not a review from any specific customer)

The one wooden house that flooded in a lane where every other home stayed dry

Uncle Somsak and Auntie Boonmee live in a low raised wooden house built in his father's time. It sits at the lowest point of their lane, next to an irrigation canal that feeds the paddy fields. When heavy rain fell for several days at the end of September, the other houses in the lane only had water on the road. But water from the canal and the fields drifted into Uncle Somsak's yard, filled the space under the house up to the lower floorboards and stayed there for several days.

The space under the house held sacks of unmilled rice left over from the last season, farming tools, a small chicken coop and the bamboo platform where Auntie Boonmee sits every morning to sort vegetables. The downstairs room is the bedroom of their three-year-old granddaughter, whose parents work in another province. When the water fell, relatives living nearby came to carry the wet rice out to dry, hose down the area under the house and wipe the floor. Because theirs was one of only a handful of flooded houses, outside help was limited, and the family had to handle almost everything themselves.

Ten days later Auntie Boonmee said the house "smells like rotting rice fields", especially before dawn and after rain. Their granddaughter had a red rash on her calves and had diarrhoea twice. Uncle Somsak, who had waded out to check the fields every day during the flood, began to complain of aching legs. Their daughter took him straight to hospital and told the doctor about the wading. As for the house, the family began looking for a way to deal with the smell and the germs properly.

The 2026 Phichit Flood Situation According to DDPM

According to the report of Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) dated 30 September 2026, Phichit had 8 affected households. In the report dated 2 October 2026, Phichit still had 1 affected district with 3 households, and water levels were falling. These figures change daily, so please follow the latest DDPM and local announcements.

Nationally, DDPM reported on 2 October 2026 that 31 provinces plus Bangkok were flooded, with 1,245,581 households and 3,535,206 people affected, caused by heavy to very heavy rain and water from the north flowing down to lower areas. Compared with the national figures, Phichit may be lightly affected. But for any family whose home was flooded, the health risk does not shrink just because the household count is small.

Phichit is a lowland province in the lower north, crossed by the Nan and Yom rivers, along with the old Phichit River that is part of the town's history. Most of the land is rice paddy, dotted with rice mills, granaries, raised wooden houses, single-storey concrete homes and shophouses around the markets. Soil and air stay humid at the end of the rainy season, even after the water inside a home has drained away.

Situation sources: Bangkokbiznews and Thai PBS.

Why a Small Flood in Phichit Still Needs Serious Disinfection

First, localised floods are usually still water. A house that sits lower than its neighbours becomes a basin. The water does not flow through; it sits there, so silt, sewage and germs stay around the home for longer.

Second, help tends to go where the flood is biggest. When only a few homes are flooded, families often clean on their own with whatever strength they have, may lack full protective gear and may not have time to dry the house completely.

Third, the receding phase is when mold grows fastest. Warm, humid air plus wet materials is exactly what mold likes. WHO and the CDC advise cleaning and drying within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold, which is hard to achieve in a wooden house that has soaked up water.

Fourth, rural homes combine several sources of germs. Chicken coops, animal pens, rice stores, pit latrines and field rats. When a flood brings all of this together under the house, the real risk is higher than the numbers suggest.

Every Kind of Germ the Phichit Flood Brings: Know Them Before You Start

Bacteria from sewage and animal manure

Water that reaches pit latrines, septic tanks, chicken coops and animal pens carries bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter, which build up in the mud under the house and on the floors. They cause diarrhoea, stomach pain, vomiting and fever. Children who sit on the bamboo platform or wooden floor, and adults who eat after handling muddy belongings, are the people who pick them up most often. If water jars or storage tanks were flooded, empty them and clean them before using them again.

Leptospirosis, a danger for rice farmers

In a rice-growing province like Phichit, many people walk into fields and wade through water as part of daily life. Leptospira bacteria from rat urine spread through standing water and mud and enter the body through cuts or skin that has been soaked for a long time. Symptoms usually begin from a few days to around two weeks after exposure: sudden high fever, headache, muscle pain, especially in the calves, and red eyes. Some cases become severe, affecting the kidneys or liver. If you have a fever and calf pain after wading, see a doctor immediately and say that you waded through floodwater. Ozone treatment looks after the home; it does not treat disease.

Viruses that cause diarrhoea and spread through the whole family

Norovirus and rotavirus spread through contaminated food, water and surfaces, and even a tiny dose can cause illness. Once one person in the house starts vomiting or has diarrhoea, others often follow within days, especially in multigenerational homes with grandparents and small grandchildren under one roof. Washing hands with soap and cleaning the bathroom, kitchen and children's toys is very important during this period.

Mold in wood, fabric, unmilled rice and sacks

Wooden houses and natural materials such as reed mats, bamboo platforms, jute sacks and unmilled rice absorb water easily and dry slowly, which makes them excellent places for mold. On wood it may appear as a white, green or black film or spots. Unmilled rice that sat in floodwater and has gone moldy should not be eaten or fed to animals. Airborne spores cause coughing, sneezing, congestion, asthma flare-ups and eye irritation, especially in older people and small children.

Musty, muddy and stagnant-water odours

The "rotting rice field" smell Auntie Boonmee described comes from decomposing plant matter, straw and sewage in the mud, mixed with volatile compounds from mold. It often gets stronger on humid mornings and after rain, because moisture switches the microbes back on.

Who in the household needs extra care

• Older people, especially those with chronic illness who stay home all day.
• Young children who play on the floor and put their hands in their mouths.
• Pregnant women, who should avoid wading and touching flood mud.
• People with diabetes, kidney or lung disease, and anyone with low immunity.
• Farmers who had to go into the fields or tend animals during the flood.

The Quiet Consequences After the Water Falls

Health. Diarrhoea, itchy rashes, allergy flare-ups and lingering coughs are often dismissed as minor, until they keep coming back.

Income and property. Rice kept for sale or for the family has to be sorted and thrown away; fertiliser and seed are damaged; metal tools rust; wooden furniture swells and grows mold.

Time and labour. The weeks that should go into preparing fields or tending crops are spent washing the house again and again.

Small community shops. For a grocery, noodle shop or curry-and-rice stall at the front of a home, a musty smell makes village customers hesitate.

State of mind. A feeling of isolation when yours is one of only a few flooded homes, and worry that the next heavy rain will bring it all back.

Common Approaches That Do Not Finish the Job

• Pouring bleach under the house and calling it done. Fine for smooth surfaces, but no help inside wood, sacks or the air of a room. Heavy use in enclosed spaces stings the nose and eyes, and bleach must never be mixed with toilet cleaners or ammonia.
• Drying belongings and putting them straight back. If the surface is dry but the inside is still damp, mold returns within days.
• Burning mosquito coils or incense to mask the smell. The odour fades briefly, and the room fills with smoke where elderly people and children are living.
• Laying new mats over damp floorboards. This traps moisture so mold grows underneath.
• Leaving the space under the house to dry by itself. With rain still falling on and off, it may never dry at all.

What is still missing is a step that deals with germs and odour across the whole room, in the air and in corners that hands cannot reach, once the area has been washed and dried.

Get a Wooden House Truly Dry Before Thinking About Disinfection

Raised wooden houses are a familiar sight in Phichit. Their strength is that the floor is lifted above moderate water. But once water reaches the floorboards, the wood soaks it deep inside and releases it very slowly. A board that looks dry in the afternoon can feel damp again the next morning. A simple test is to touch the floor before sunrise: if it feels cool and damp, or smells musty when you lean down, the wood is not dry yet.

Open every door and window when the sun is out, pull furniture away from the walls so air can circulate, and lift any boards or vinyl flooring laid on top so moisture beneath can escape. If any timber has rotted soft or cracked, replace it, because rotten wood holds moisture and germs indefinitely. Sweep all mud out from under the house and let as much sunlight in as possible.

Only when the wood and walls are properly dry should you consider ozone for rooms that can be closed, such as bedrooms, storerooms and kitchens. This order lets ozone work fully on the remaining germs and odour, instead of fighting moisture that keeps producing new mold.

WHD Ozone Disinfection in Phichit: How It Works and How to Prepare

Ozone (O3) is a strongly oxidising gas. When it is released into a sealed room, it spreads to every point the air can reach, breaks down the cell structures of viruses, bacteria and mold, and destroys odour-causing molecules. It then breaks down back into oxygen (O2), leaving no chemical residue. According to test results certified for the company by Thailand's Department of Medical Sciences and Intertek (UK), the system eliminates viruses, bacteria and mold by 99.99%.

World Health Disinfection (WHD) is based in Bang Khae district, Bangkok, and has no branch in Phichit. Customers in Mueang Phichit, Taphan Hin, Bang Mun Nak, Pho Thale and other districts can contact the team to plan a service. Travel and coverage are confirmed by phone on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268. The team arranges a date based on distance and how ready the home is, and does not promise same-day arrival.

How the work is done

1. Consultation and photos. Tell us how high the water rose and send photos of rooms, the space under the house and storerooms via LINE.
2. Confirm the home is washed and dry. All mud must be out, damaged items removed, and floorboards and walls dry.
3. Prepare the space. Open cupboards, drawers and internal doors; close windows and vents. Very open areas, such as an open under-house space, may not be suitable for ozone; the team will advise which rooms to treat.
4. Everyone out: people, animals and plants. Including chickens and pets kept near the rooms being treated.
5. Zone-by-zone treatment. About 30 minutes per zone, depending on room size and severity.
6. Rest and ventilate. Then re-enter at the time the team specifies.
7. Aftercare advice. Such as keeping belongings off the floor, opening windows in strong sun and watching for damp spots.

The iron rule: During ozone treatment the room must be closed and empty of people, pets and plants, and you return only after the rest and ventilation period.

10 Reasons Phichit Homes Should Consider Ozone After the Water Recedes

1. It completes the recovery. After washing and drying, ozone handles germs in the parts you cannot see.
2. It reaches wood grain and floor joints, where wooden houses hold the most moisture and germs.
3. It covers viruses, bacteria and mold at 99.99% according to the company's certified test results. See the ozone disinfection service for details.
4. It reduces the rotting-field and mud smell at the source, rather than hiding it with incense or perfume.
5. No residue, which suits small children's and elderly relatives' bedrooms.
6. It is quick, around 30 minutes per zone, so you do not have to leave the fields for days.
7. It suits small community shops. Food stalls and groceries can reopen with confidence.
8. It brings peace of mind, especially in homes with someone chronically ill.
9. It is backed by certified testing, available on the company's certificate page.
10. Better value for multiple rooms. Jobs from 15,000 baht include a free medical-grade disinfectant spray. Ask on the service page.

Before and After Ozone Treatment

Note: rotten timber and permanently damaged materials should be replaced. Results depend on washing and drying before treatment.

Example Case: A Home-Front Noodle Shop in Phichit

Example case (a hypothetical scenario used to explain the process, not a real customer review)

Nid runs a small noodle shop at the front of her single-storey concrete house in Phichit. Most of her customers are villagers and workers from a nearby rice mill. The water inside only reached her ankles, but it flooded the kitchen behind the shop and the room where she stores ingredients. She threw away all the noodles, vegetables and seasonings that had touched the water, washed the floor and pots and scalded every dish with hot water. Yet after reopening, some regulars said there was "a musty smell when you sit inside".

Nid closed for two more days. She removed the wooden shelves that had soaked up water, opened the windows and ran fans until the kitchen was dry, then contacted WHD to plan ozone treatment for the kitchen, the storeroom and the seating area. On the day, the family took their cat to a relative's house, moved the pots of basil away from the window and waited until the rest period was over.

After treatment the musty smell in the shop was reduced. Nid reopened with new shelving raised off the floor and a plan to move ingredients up high as soon as the next heavy-rain warning is issued.

The conclusion: a food business must always discard anything that touched floodwater, then wash and dry first. Ozone is an extra step to deal with the germs and odour that remain.

Receding-Water Checklist for Phichit Homes

Safety before you start

• Switch off power and have an electrician check the system if sockets or cables were under water.
• Watch for snakes and other dangerous animals sheltering under the house or in piles of belongings.
• Wear boots, rubber gloves and a mask, and cover any wounds completely.

Cleaning

• Shovel mud from under the house and inside the rooms; take sacks, straw and wet items out to dry.
• Throw away moldy unmilled rice and animal feed.
• Empty and clean water jars and tanks that floodwater reached.
• Wash wooden floors, walls and furniture with clean water and detergent.

Drying

• Open windows, lift belongings off the floor and use fans to move air.
• Wait until the wood is dry all the way through, not just on the surface.

Ozone and afterwards

• Contact WHD on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268 to plan.
• On the day, move people, animals and plants out of the area.
• Re-enter after the rest and ventilation time the team gives.
• Watch everyone's health. See a doctor for fever, calf pain, severe diarrhoea or breathing difficulty.

FAQ: Ozone Disinfection in Phichit After the Flood

Q: The flood was short and the water is down. Do we still need to disinfect?
A: Thorough cleaning and disinfection are always worthwhile, because floodwater brings germs even if it does not stay long. Ozone is an option after washing and drying, especially if there is still a smell or visible mold.

Q: Does WHD have a branch in Phichit?
A: No. The company is in Bang Khae, Bangkok. Contact us to plan a service and confirm travel on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268.

Q: Can you treat the open space under the house?
A: Ozone must be used in an enclosed space. An open under-house area usually relies on washing and sunlight. The team will advise which rooms are suitable.

Q: How long before we can go back in?
A: A cycle is about 30 minutes per zone, followed by a rest and ventilation period. The team will tell you exactly when to re-enter.

Q: If unmilled rice has gone moldy, can ozone make it safe to eat?
A: No. Rice and food that touched floodwater or grew mold should be discarded. Ozone is for rooms and spaces, not for making spoiled food safe.

Q: What should I do if I have calf pain and fever after wading?
A: See a doctor immediately and mention the wading, as it could be leptospirosis.

Talk to WHD About Ozone Disinfection in Phichit

Send room photos and tell the WHD team what happened, so we can plan the job and confirm travel to your home in Phichit.

See the Ozone Disinfection Service

Phone 065-556-6294 · LINE @whd268 · Email worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related Services and References

• Ozone cleaning service
• Chemgene disinfectant
• Contact us

References

• Bangkokbiznews: flood situation per DDPM reports
• Thai PBS: flood situation report
• World Health Organization fact sheets
• Thailand Department of Disease Control