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

Hundreds of triangle cushions in Pa Tio, and a smell nobody wants to buy

Saengduean belongs to a women's group in Pa Tio district that sews traditional patterned pillows and triangular cushions for sale. The ground floor of her two-storey concrete house serves as a sewing room, a kapok store and a small warehouse for finished cushions waiting to be shipped. After several days of heavy rain, cloudy water spread through the village and rose almost to knee height inside the house. Saengduean and her husband managed to carry some of the stock upstairs. The rest sat in water for two full days.

When the water went down, the problems were worse than expected. Kapok that had soaked up water would not dry. Brightly patterned cloth developed black spots. A sour, musty smell spread through the whole house and up into the bedrooms. Even the cushions they had rescued began to smell, simply because the air indoors was so damp. Her school-age daughter woke up with a blocked nose every morning, and her mother, who has diabetes, complained of itchy legs after wading out to check the vegetable plots.

Saengduean decided to throw away every cushion that had been under water, because flood-soaked kapok is not worth the risk. But the room itself, the sewing machines, the cutting table, the wooden shelves and the uncut rolls of fabric, still smelled. The question many Yasothon families are asking is the same: we have cleaned, so why does the smell stay, and when can we safely use this room again?

The latest on the 2026 Yasothon floods: Kham Khuean Kaeo and Pa Tio

According to the report of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) dated 2 October 2026, flooding in Yasothon province affected Kham Khuean Kaeo and Pa Tio districts, with a total of 243 households impacted and water levels falling. These figures change daily, so check the latest updates from the provincial information centre and the DDPM.

Nationally on the same day, the DDPM reported flooding in 31 provinces plus Bangkok, affecting 1,245,581 households and 3,535,206 people, caused by heavy to very heavy rain combined with runoff from the north. The Chi River flows through Yasothon, along with several tributaries, so when rain accumulates in the low-lying areas, water from rice fields and streams can easily spill into villages.

The good news is that the water is receding. But this is exactly when you need to act fastest, because a damp house in the warm air at the end of the rainy season is ideal for bacteria and mold. The longer it is left, the harder and more expensive recovery becomes.

Timing matters in another way too. In many Yasothon villages the end of the rainy season runs straight into the rice harvest, when every pair of hands is needed in the fields and the household has little time or energy left for a second or third round of cleaning. Families who get the order of work right in the first week, removing what cannot be saved, washing and disinfecting surfaces, drying the structure and only then treating the air, usually spend less money and fewer days on recovery than those who repaint quickly and hope for the best. Planning ahead also means older relatives are not left to scrub alone while younger family members are busy with the harvest.

A risk map: where post-flood germs hide in a Yasothon home

Rather than talking about germs in the abstract, walk through the house one room at a time and see how everything that arrives with floodwater spreads into different corners.

Bedrooms and bedding: mold in kapok and foam

Many homes in Yasothon use kapok mattresses, kapok pillows and fold-out foam mats, which soak up a lot of water and dry slower than anything else in the house. Within 24 to 48 hours of getting wet, molds such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and black molds begin growing in the fibres. In line with CDC and public health guidance, mattresses and pillows that have been soaked by floodwater should be discarded, not sun-dried and reused. Spores deep inside are pushed out every time someone lies on them, triggering allergies, asthma and chronic coughs.

Kitchen and washing-up area: faecal bacteria

Floodwater that has run through toilets, septic tanks and cattle pens carries E. coli and other gut bacteria into the kitchen. They cling to the mud film on counters, cupboards, dishes and water jars. Using dishes without washing and scalding them first, or drinking water of uncertain quality, can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. Dry goods, rice and condiments that have touched floodwater must all be thrown away.

Bathrooms and floors: diarrhoea viruses

When toilets will not flush or septic tanks are full, the household shares a bathroom under abnormal conditions. Norovirus and rotavirus spread easily through hands, door handles and bathroom floors. These viruses last a long time on surfaces. When one person falls ill, everyone else is at risk, especially young children and older people who dehydrate quickly.

Yard, paths and fields: leptospirosis and soil bacteria

Leptospirosis is commonly seen in northeastern Thailand during the rainy and rice-planting seasons. The bacteria live in standing water and mud contaminated with rat urine and enter through cuts or skin softened by long immersion. Symptoms include sudden high fever, headache, severe calf pain and red eyes. The northeast also sees melioidosis, caused by a bacterium in soil and water, and people with diabetes or kidney disease are especially at risk. Anyone who develops a fever after wading must go to hospital and tell the doctor about their contact with floodwater.

Rice stores and fabric stores: musty odour

Rooms for storing paddy rice, milled rice, woven fabric and fertiliser sacks are usually closed and poorly ventilated. After the water goes down, trapped moisture produces a sour musty smell from mold and a drain-like stench from decomposing waste. These smells are signs that microbes are still active, and they soak into everything stored in the room.

People in a Yasothon household who need extra care

• Older adults and people with chronic illness, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney or lung disease, who have weaker immunity, catch infections more easily and heal slowly.
• Babies and young children, who put their hands in their mouths and tolerate dehydration from diarrhoea poorly.
• Pregnant women, who should avoid wading, harsh chemical scrubbing and heavily moldy rooms.
• People with allergies, asthma or sinus problems, whose symptoms flare with mold spores.
• Farmers and anyone who must wade, especially with cuts on feet or legs.

Ozone treatment reduces germs in the home. It does not treat or prevent disease in the body. Fever, persistent diarrhoea, calf pain, a lingering cough or a red, swollen wound means going to the sub-district health promotion hospital or district hospital straight away.

The hidden damage Yasothon families face after the water drops

Health that slowly declines: Many people assume it is over once the water goes down. In reality, allergies, coughs, rashes and diarrhoea often appear in the second and third week, as mold and bacteria build up in a house that is still damp.

Income from crafts and rice: For families who make cushions, weave, or store jasmine rice to sell, a musty smell or mold spots on products mean they cannot sell, or must cut prices sharply. Customers buying cushions or organic rice expect high standards of cleanliness and quality.

Paying twice: Repainting a wall that is still damp means mold pushes through within months, and the wall has to be scraped and painted again, doubling the cost.

Lost time: Every day spent rewashing the house is a day not spent on the fields, the sewing or a paid job.

Family strain: Children working in the city worry about their parents at home. Older relatives are exhausted by cleaning. Kids have to sleep elsewhere. All this uncertainty slowly wears down morale.

Five beliefs that keep the musty smell in your house

Belief 1: Splash bleach everywhere and the house is clean.
Bleach works on hard surfaces after the mud has been washed off. It does not penetrate wood, fabric, kapok or wall cavities, it discolours woven cloth, and it is dangerous if mixed with toilet cleaner.

Belief 2: Sun-dry it and the problem is gone.
Sunlight helps small pieces of cloth, but mattresses, large bundles of kapok and the contents of storerooms only dry on the outside. Inside they remain damp and moldy.

Belief 3: Run fans on full day and night.
Fans help remove humidity, but if mold is still present they simply blow spores around the house.

Belief 4: Charcoal, coffee grounds or scented spray will fix the smell.
These absorb or cover a little odour but do nothing to the microbes causing it.

Belief 5: Just paint over it.
New paint seals mold beneath the surface. Moisture left in the wall makes the paint blister and peel, and the mold returns with a stronger smell.

Ozone disinfection in Yasothon: how WHD does it

Ozone (O3) is a gas with strong oxidising power. Released in a closed room, it fills the entire air volume and reaches corners, under beds, behind cupboards and between shelves. It breaks down the cell structures of viruses, bacteria and mold and splits odour molecules at their source. When the job is done, ozone reverts to oxygen (O2) with no chemical residue.

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. More information is on the Residential and Building Ozone Disinfection page.

The right order of work

1. Remove mud and discard flood-damaged items, especially mattresses, kapok pillows, cardboard and food.
2. Wash and disinfect surfaces with clean water, detergent and a disinfectant used according to its label.
3. Dry thoroughly by ventilating, and use fans once visible mold has been removed.
4. Consult the WHD team by sending photos and room sizes on LINE so zones can be planned.
5. Prepare empty rooms: people, pets and plants out, doors and windows closed.
6. Ozone treatment of around 30 minutes per zone, followed by contact time.
7. Rest and ventilate, then re-enter when the team says so.

Safety, once more: ozone treatment is carried out only in an empty, closed room. No people, pets or plants inside during treatment, and re-entry only after the rest and ventilation period. Ozone comes after mud removal, washing and drying. It does not replace cleaning, and it is not medical treatment.

Service in Yasothon: WHD is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok 10160, and has no branch in Yasothon. Customers in Kham Khuean Kaeo, Pa Tio or other districts of Yasothon can contact the team to plan the job by phone on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268. The team confirms coverage, dates and travel costs case by case and cannot guarantee same-day arrival.

10 reasons to ozone-treat a Yasothon home after the water recedes

1. Fabric and kapok stores are stuffy. Ozone fills a closed room and reaches the gaps between rolls of fabric and shelves that cloths cannot.
2. No chemical film on woven cloth, because ozone turns back into oxygen, which suits cushion makers and weavers.
3. It targets the sour musty smell at its source rather than covering it up.
4. It covers many groups of germs, bacteria, viruses and mold, at 99.99% according to company-certified testing. See the WHD ozone service page.
5. It suits bedrooms for older people and children, reducing airborne germs before they move back in.
6. It helps protect rice storage areas by reducing musty odour in stores once wet rice has been removed and the space dried.
7. It is a final step you can feel: people notice fresher air and less smell.
8. It is quick, about 30 minutes per zone, with no major dismantling of rooms.
9. It works for shops, schools and offices, including child development centres and community buildings. Read more about ozone disinfection for buildings.
10. Promotion: ozone jobs from 15,000 baht come with a free medical-grade disinfectant spray.

Before and after: a cushion-sewing room in Pa Tio

Example case: a home with a bedridden father in Kham Khuean Kaeo

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

Nid works in another province but rushed home to Kham Khuean Kaeo when she heard water had entered the house. Her eighty-year-old father is bedridden and sleeps in a ground-floor room because he cannot manage the stairs. Relatives carried him to a neighbour's higher house before the water rose, but his bedroom, wooden bed, medicine cabinet and spare adult diapers sat in water for several days.

Once the water dropped, Nid and her brother threw out the mattress, washed the floor and walls with detergent followed by disinfectant, scrubbed mold off the bed legs and left the windows open for almost a week. The room still smelled musty. Nid did not want her father, whose lungs are weak, to come back to a room that still smelled, so she contacted WHD on LINE, sending photos of the room, the size of the house and a description of the cleaning already done.

The team planned three zones: her father's bedroom, the living room and the kitchen, and confirmed the travel date and cost by phone. On the day, her father stayed on at the relatives' house, every room was empty, the family cat was out and the potted plants had been moved. After the rest and ventilation period, the family felt a clear change in the air. Nid bought a new mattress and set up the room for her father's return. His health care continues as before with his doctor, because ozone treatment looks after the house, not the patient.

Yasothon flood recovery checklist

First week after the water drops

• Have an electrician inspect the wiring before switching on. Do not touch sockets that were under water.
• Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and a mask, and cover wounds before cleaning.
• Photograph the damage before throwing things out, as evidence for assistance claims.
• Discard mattresses, kapok pillows, foam mats and food that were soaked.
• Remove mud and wash floors, walls and furniture with clean water and detergent.
• Disinfect hard surfaces according to the product label and never mix products.
• Wash dishes and scald them with hot water before use.
• Separate wet paddy or milled rice from dry stock.

Before ozone day

• Check that floors and walls are truly dry, with no water trapped under furniture.
• Scrub off all visible mold.
• Arrange somewhere for people and pets to stay, and move plants out.

After ozone

• Re-enter only when the team confirms the rest and ventilation period is over.
• Open windows every morning and keep controlling humidity.
• Store items on raised shelves, away from walls that were wet.
• Watch everyone's health: fever, calf pain, diarrhoea or a lingering cough means seeing a doctor.

FAQ: ozone disinfection in Yasothon after the floods

Where is WHD based, and can you come to Yasothon?
WHD is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok, with no branch in Yasothon. Contact 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268 to plan a job in the province. The team confirms coverage, dates and travel costs case by case.

Can a soaked kapok pillow be reused after ozone?
We do not recommend it. Pillows, mattresses and bedding soaked in floodwater should be discarded, because germs and moisture sit deep in the kapok. Ozone is for rooms and items that have already been cleaned and dried.

How long after the water drops can we book ozone?
It depends on when the house is dry. Mud removal, washing and drying come first. Usually this is after cleaning is finished and the floors and walls have dried with ventilation. The team can assess from photos.

Does everyone have to leave during treatment?
Yes, everyone, along with pets and plants. The room must be empty and closed, and you re-enter only after the rest and ventilation period the team specifies.

If my child has diarrhoea, does ozone mean we do not need a doctor?
No. Ozone deals with germs in the house but does not treat people. A child with diarrhoea, vomiting or fever must be seen by a doctor straight away.

Can a paddy rice store be treated?
A store or room that can be closed may be considered after wet rice has been removed and the space cleaned. For rice intended for eating or sale, discuss details with the team case by case first.

How is the price calculated?
By floor area, number of zones and travel. Jobs from 15,000 baht receive a free medical-grade disinfectant spray.

Talk to WHD about post-flood ozone disinfection in Yasothon

Homes, shops and storerooms in Kham Khuean Kaeo, Pa Tio and elsewhere in Yasothon that have been washed and dried but still smell musty: the WHD team is ready to help you plan.

View the Ozone Disinfection Service

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

Related links and references

• Chemgene disinfectant for wiping surfaces after mud removal
• Ozone cleaning service
• Contact World Health Disinfection

References

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