A typical scenario (an illustrative situation based on what commonly happens after floods, not a review from any specific customer)

A loom under the house in Prasat, and a smell trapped in the silk

Auntie Bua weaves silk in a village in Prasat district. Her home is a classic wooden Isan house raised on stilts. The open ground floor underneath is where life actually happens: her loom stands there, skeins of dyed silk wait in plastic boxes, a few sacks of unmilled rice are stacked against a post, and her two grandchildren play there every afternoon. After several days of continuous heavy rain, runoff from the surrounding rice fields poured into the village. The water rose to shin height, covering the legs of the loom, the wooden benches and the boxes of silk sitting on the bare earth floor.

Within a few days the water began to recede. Auntie Bua and her son shovelled out the mud, scrubbed the concrete with laundry detergent and toilet cleaner, and left everything open to the breeze. A week later, however, a sour, musty smell still drifted up to the bedrooms every evening. Grey-green spots appeared on the wooden frame of the loom. Silk that had been dried in the sun still smelled faintly of rot. The youngest grandchild began coughing at night, and her son, who had waded through the water to help neighbours move their belongings, had a graze on his foot that was taking far longer than usual to heal.

This story is not unusual. In a province where the space beneath the house is the heart of daily life, used for weaving, rice storage, parking the walking tractor and eating dinner together, even a few days of floodwater can turn the whole area into a breeding ground for microbes. What families need is not a house that merely looks clean, but one that is genuinely safe to breathe in and live in again.

The 2026 Surin floods: Phanom Dong Rak and Prasat districts

According to the report of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) dated 2 October 2026, flooding in Surin province affected two districts, Phanom Dong Rak and Prasat, with 200 households impacted and water levels reported as falling. These figures change daily, so readers should check the latest announcements from the province and the DDPM.

At the national level, the DDPM reported on the same day that flooding was affecting 31 provinces plus Bangkok, with 1,245,581 households and 3,535,206 people affected. The main causes were heavy to very heavy rain combined with runoff from the north. Next to those totals, Surin's figures may look small. But for each family whose home took on water, the damage to health and property is just as real as anywhere else in the country.

The period when water is receding is the most important window of recovery. While the ground and walls are still damp and the late rainy season stays warm and humid, bacteria and mold multiply at their fastest. Phanom Dong Rak sits along the Dangrek mountain range on the southern edge of the province, where runoff from higher ground flows down onto the plains. Prasat is a district of rice fields and farming communities. Water moving through these landscapes carries soil, mud, animal manure and waste from cattle pens, pit latrines and septic tanks, and it delivers all of that into homes.

Every kind of germ that arrives with floodwater in Surin

Floodwater is not clean rainwater. By the time it reaches your house it has passed over fields, animal pens, roads, drains and village sanitation systems. The World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both advise treating all floodwater and flood mud as contaminated. These are the main threats to understand.

1. Faecal and sewage bacteria

E. coli and other gut bacteria travel in water that has passed through latrines, septic tanks and livestock pens. When the water drops, these bacteria remain in the film of mud left on floors, walls, table legs and kitchenware. Hands that touch these surfaces and then touch food or mouths can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever. Small children who crawl and put their hands in their mouths are at the highest risk.

2. Leptospirosis

Leptospira bacteria are shed in the urine of rats and some other animals and survive in standing water and wet mud. They enter the body through cuts, scratches or skin softened by long immersion. Northeastern Thailand is a region where leptospirosis is commonly seen during the rainy and rice-planting seasons, so anyone who wades through floodwater, works in paddy fields or helps move belongings in the water needs to be careful. Warning signs include sudden high fever, headache, muscle pain especially in the calves, and red eyes. Anyone who develops these symptoms after wading must see a doctor promptly and mention their contact with floodwater.

3. Soil and water bacteria common in Isan

The northeast is also known for melioidosis, an infection caused by a bacterium that lives in soil and surface water. It can enter through wounds or prolonged contact with wet mud. People with diabetes, kidney disease or weak immunity face higher risk. Farmers and anyone shovelling mud should always wear rubber boots and gloves, and anyone with a persistent fever or a wound that will not heal should get medical advice.

4. Viruses that cause diarrhoea and vomiting

Norovirus and rotavirus spread easily when drinking or washing water becomes contaminated, or when a household shares toilets while sanitation is still disrupted. These viruses survive on surfaces for a long time and spread through hands, dishes and droplets from vomiting. Children and older people with severe diarrhoea can become dehydrated quickly. Eye infections and skin problems are also common during floods.

5. Mold in timber, fabric and rice straw

Wooden houses, wooden loom frames, plank walls, reed mats, mattresses, pillows, blankets and stored silk all absorb moisture readily. Molds such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and black molds can begin growing within 24 to 48 hours of a material getting wet, which is why the CDC and many health agencies advise drying out within that window. Airborne spores trigger allergies, asthma and chronic coughing, and they are more dangerous for people with weakened immune systems.

6. Musty and sewage odours

The smell after a flood is more than a nuisance. It is a sign that microbes are still active inside your home. A sour, wet-earth smell usually comes from mold releasing volatile compounds, while a rotten-egg or drain smell comes from waste breaking down without oxygen. If the smell is still there, the source is still there, no matter how much air freshener you spray.

Who is most at risk in a Surin household

Many rural families in Surin are multi-generational. Grandparents often stay home to look after grandchildren while parents work in town or in other provinces. After a flood, these people need extra care.

• Older adults, especially those with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease or lung conditions, whose immunity is lower and whose infections tend to be more serious.
• Young children who play on the ground floor, crawl and put their hands in their mouths.
• Pregnant women, who should avoid wading, harsh chemical scrubbing and rooms with heavy mold.
• People with allergies or asthma, who react strongly to mold spores and musty air.
• Anyone who has to wade or work in the fields, particularly with cuts on their feet or legs.

An important point: ozone disinfection treats the environment, not people. If anyone in the home has a fever, diarrhoea, calf pain, a cough that will not stop, or a red and swollen wound, they need to go to the local health promotion hospital or district hospital straight away.

What Surin families face after the water drops

Health: Diarrhoea, rashes, fungal foot infections, lingering coughs and flare-ups of allergies can continue for weeks after the water has gone. If the house stays damp and mold keeps building up, people fall ill again and again.

Money: Unmilled rice that gets damp and grows mold in the granary may not sell at a fair price. Half-woven silk or freshly dyed yarn can become stained and smelly, and for many households this is a main source of income. Furniture, mattresses and appliances also need repair or replacement.

Time: Washing the house over and over because the smell will not go away eats into time that should be spent rescuing the fields and getting back to work.

Reputation and livelihood: For weaving groups, village shops and homestays that welcome visitors coming to see Khmer temple ruins and elephant villages, a musty smell in the guest area or on products directly affects customer confidence.

Family: Worry that the grandchildren will get sick, the exhaustion of elderly relatives doing the cleaning themselves, and the stress of lost income all build up. Many families simply want the ordeal to be over.

Why the usual fixes are not enough

Many families have done everything they can, and still the problem comes back. Common methods have real limits.

• Pouring bleach and calling it done: Bleach can disinfect smooth surfaces, but it does not soak into wood grain, plank joints or the underside of mats. It cannot be used on silk because it causes discolouration. Mixed with acidic toilet cleaners, it can release dangerous gas.
• Sun-drying alone: Sunlight helps with small items, but the house frame, loom, posts and ground floor cannot be put out in the sun, and late-season sunshine is not strong every day.
• Running fans: Air movement helps remove humidity, but it also blows mold spores throughout the house, including up into the bedrooms.
• Mosquito coils and air fresheners: These only cover the smell for a while and do nothing to the source.
• Painting or oiling over damp wood: This seals mold inside, and before long the stains push back through the new finish with an even stronger smell.

What these methods have in common is that they cannot reach the whole volume of air in a room, the corners, the gaps between planks and the fibres of fabric, which is exactly where germs and odours hide.

How WHD ozone disinfection works for homes in Surin

Ozone (O3) is oxygen with one extra atom. It is a strong oxidiser. Released inside a closed space, it behaves like any gas and spreads into every corner that air can reach. There it breaks down the cell structures of viruses, bacteria and mold, and breaks apart odour molecules at the source. Afterwards it reverts to ordinary oxygen (O2), leaving no chemical residue on silk, belongings or surfaces.

According to testing certified by the company, carried out with Thailand's Department of Medical Sciences and Intertek (UK), World Health Disinfection (WHD) ozone treatment eliminates 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and mold. Full details are on the Residential and Building Ozone Disinfection service page.

Step by step

1. Assessment: Talk to the team by phone or LINE. Send photos, approximate floor area and how high the water reached, so the number of zones and timing can be planned.
2. Readiness check: The space must already have had mud removed, been washed and been dried.
3. Preparation: All people, pets and plants leave the area. Doors and windows are closed, or the open ground floor is enclosed as far as practical.
4. Ozone release: The generator fills the space, typically around 30 minutes per zone.
5. Contact time and rest: Ozone is left to work and break down, then the space is ventilated.
6. Re-entry: Only after the rest and ventilation period the team specifies.

The safety rule to remember: ozone treatment is only carried out in an empty, closed space. No people, pets or plants may be inside during treatment, and re-entry happens only after the rest and ventilation period. Ozone is the step after mud removal, washing and drying. It does not replace cleaning or medical care.

About travel: WHD is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok 10160, and has no branch in Surin. If you would like the service in Phanom Dong Rak, Prasat or any other district of Surin, contact the team to plan the job. Coverage, dates and travel costs are confirmed case by case by phone on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268. Same-day arrival cannot be promised.

10 reasons Surin homes should consider ozone after a flood

1. It reaches between every plank. A stilt house has hundreds of joints. Ozone gas gets into places cloths and brushes cannot.
2. It is kinder to silk. Unlike pouring bleach, ozone leaves no chemical film on fibres, which suits homes with looms and stored textiles. Wet fabric should still be washed and dried first.
3. It deals with odour at the source rather than masking it like an air freshener.
4. It covers bacteria, viruses and mold together, with 99.99% stated in company-certified testing. See the ozone service page.
5. It turns back into oxygen, so there is no residue on dishes, mats or children's things.
6. It is quick, at around 30 minutes per zone plus rest time before re-entry.
7. It helps protect grandparents and grandchildren by reducing germs in the air everyone breathes every day.
8. It gives the clean-up a clear final step, so families feel more confident moving back into the ground-floor space.
9. It works for homes, shops and buildings, including homestays, village shops, schools, offices and small factories. Learn more about WHD ozone disinfection.
10. There is a promotion: ozone jobs from 15,000 baht receive a free medical-grade disinfectant spray.

Before and after ozone: a stilt house in Prasat

Example case: a village shop in Phanom Dong Rak

An illustrative example, not a review from a specific customer.

Somchai runs a small grocery in a community in Phanom Dong Rak district. Behind the shop is a stockroom and the bedroom of his mother, who is in her seventies. When runoff from higher ground swept through the community, about thirty centimetres of water came into the shop. Cases of drinking water, sacks of rice and cardboard boxes were all soaked.

Somchai started by throwing out damaged stock, scraping out the mud, washing the floor with detergent and wiping down surfaces with a disinfectant according to the label. He left the doors open and fans running for several days. Yet the windowless stockroom still smelled strongly musty, and his mother began sneezing at night. He contacted the WHD team and sent photos and room sizes over LINE. The team first checked the order of work, advised him to replace all the wet cardboard and wait until the walls were genuinely dry, and then scheduled zoned ozone treatment covering the shop front, the stockroom and the bedroom. His mother stayed with relatives during treatment until the rest period was over.

Afterwards, Somchai said the stockroom smell had dropped enough for him to restock. He now opens the windows every morning and keeps goods on raised shelves to stop moisture building up again. His mother continues to see her doctor about her allergies, because ozone treatment is not medical treatment.

Surin flood recovery checklist: before and after ozone

Before ozone

• Switch off power or have an electrician check the system before going in, especially low sockets and switches.
• Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and a mask, and cover any wounds before cleaning.
• Remove mud and debris. Throw out soaked mattresses, pillows, cardboard and any food that touched floodwater.
• Wash floors, walls, posts, the loom and furniture with clean water and detergent, then wipe with a disinfectant following the label.
• Wash silk, mats and blankets worth keeping, and dry them completely.
• Move wet rice out of the granary to dry or store separately rather than leaving it in a damp store.
• Ventilate until floors and walls are dry, as much as possible within the first 24 to 48 hours.
• Scrape or scrub off any visible mold first.

On treatment day

• Move all people, pets, chickens, dogs, cats and plants out of the area.
• Close doors and windows or enclose the ground floor as the team advises.
• Do not enter until the team confirms the rest and ventilation period is complete.

After ozone

• Open windows daily and avoid keeping the house shut and stuffy.
• Store belongings off the ground on shelves rather than on the ground floor.
• Watch for new damp patches or mold and wipe and dry them immediately.
• Monitor everyone's health. Fever, calf pain, diarrhoea or a lingering cough means a visit to the doctor.

FAQ: ozone disinfection in Surin

Does WHD have a branch in Surin?
No. WHD is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok. For service in Surin, call 065-556-6294 or message LINE @whd268 to plan the job and confirm coverage, dates and travel costs case by case.

The water only went down yesterday. Can we do ozone now?
Not yet. Remove the mud, wash and dry the house first. If floors and walls are still soaking, mold will come back. Ozone is the final step after cleaning.

Our ground floor is open. Can it be treated?
Ozone needs an enclosed space. For an open ground floor, the team will assess whether it can be enclosed or whether to focus on closed rooms, stores and bedrooms. Every house is assessed individually.

Can Grandma rest in her room during treatment?
Absolutely not. The room must be empty of people, pets and plants, and re-entry happens only after the rest and ventilation period.

Will ozone prevent leptospirosis?
Ozone reduces germs in the air and on surfaces indoors, but leptospirosis is also caught by wading through water and mud outside. Wear boots, cover wounds, and see a doctor quickly if you develop fever or calf pain after wading.

Will it damage silk?
Ozone breaks down into oxygen and leaves no chemical film, but flood-soaked fabric should be washed and dried first. Let the team know in advance about old or valuable silk so it can be stored or placed appropriately.

How much does it cost?
Price depends on floor area, number of zones and travel. Jobs from 15,000 baht receive a free medical-grade disinfectant spray. Ask for a quote on LINE @whd268.

Plan post-flood ozone disinfection in Surin with WHD

Has your home in Phanom Dong Rak, Prasat or elsewhere in Surin been cleaned and dried, yet still smells musty and leaves you worried about germs? Talk to the team to plan the work.

See the Ozone Disinfection Service

Call 065-556-6294  |  LINE @whd268  |  worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related services and references

• Ozone cleaning service
• Disinfection service for buildings and homes
• Company certificates and test documents

References

• Bangkokbiznews, DDPM flood situation report: bangkokbiznews.com
• Thai PBS flood coverage: thaipbs.or.th
• World Health Organization fact sheets: who.int
• CDC flood clean-up guidance: cdc.gov/floods
• Thailand Department of Disease Control: ddc.moph.go.th