Last updated: 6 Oct 2026 | 4 Views |
In late August 2026, residents of Ban Pluak Ngam, Moo 5, Chomphu subdistrict, Noen Maprang district, Phitsanulok province faced three straight days of heavy rain. Khlong Chomphu burst its banks and flooded around 150 households. Wat Pluak Ngam School stood in roughly one metre of water and had to close, and farmland in the area was damaged. Weeks have passed and the water is long gone, yet many homes and classrooms still carry a musty smell, mold stains on the walls and dampness that will not leave. This guide explains what the Khlong Chomphu flood left behind, why lingering moisture is more harmful than it looks, and where ozone disinfection in Noen Maprang helps, once a house has been washed and dried.
A typical scenario (an illustrative example, not an interview with any teacher or resident)
Grandma Boonmee looks after two primary-school grandchildren in a single-storey wooden house not far from the canal. On the first day of rain she thought nothing of it. By the second day the canal was brimming. On the third day water spread along the village road and into the house. She and her neighbours lifted the fridge onto a table and moved the rice sacks and the children's schoolbooks up high. The school announced it would close, and the children stayed home for days.
After the water fell, she washed the house as well as she could and opened every window. But rain kept coming on and off, and the house never fully dried. A month later, grey-green stains crept along the lower wooden walls. The mattress on the floor smelled sour, and the wardrobe smelled like laundry left wet too long. The youngest grandchild began waking with a blocked nose and a cough. She wondered why a house she had already cleaned still smelled of the flood.
According to Matichon on 21 August 2026, the situation in Ban Pluak Ngam was as follows:
For national context, DDPM data at 06:00 on 5 October 2026, reported by Daily News, listed flooding in 26 provinces plus Bangkok, affecting 1,270,151 households and 3,519,416 people. ONWR also warned that the north and parts of the south could see heavy rain and flash floods from 5 to 7 October, according to Thai PBS.
The figures of about 150 households and roughly one metre of water at the school reflect the date of the news report. Situations and figures change constantly, and this article adds no numbers beyond the report. Please rely on announcements from Noen Maprang district, the local administration and the Phitsanulok provincial disaster prevention office.
A canal that overflows after several days of rain behaves differently from a mountain flash flood. The water rises slowly, sits in homes and low-lying land for a while, then gradually recedes. During that time, building materials soak up as much water as they can, and when the water drops, a thin film of silt coats everything that was under it.
Most homes in Noen Maprang are rural houses set among rice fields, farm plots and orchards: raised wooden houses, single-storey concrete homes, and houses with a kitchen extension built at ground level at the back. Common trouble spots after the water drops include:
What makes homes here hard to dry is that August to October is the rainy season, and humidity stays high almost all the time. Even with windows open every day, moisture inside timber and walls does not fully escape. Homes flooded in August may only show obvious mold problems in September and October.
The news report said Wat Pluak Ngam School had about one metre of standing water and had to close. Water at that depth is high enough to submerge desks, chairs, lower bookshelves and learning materials near the floor. The points below are general knowledge about school buildings that have stood in floodwater, not an assessment of any particular school.
Children's immune systems are still developing, they touch everything and put their hands in their mouths, and they spend hours a day in classrooms. Keeping classrooms clean, dry and free of musty air matters as much as restoring homes. WHD provides ozone treatment for many building types, including schools, and school administrators or responsible agencies can consult to plan it, always while the building is empty.
This section is general post-flood hygiene information consistent with guidance from the Thai Department of Disease Control and the CDC. It is meant for planning home care, not for diagnosis.
When a canal overflows, water passes through septic tanks, drains, animal pens and farm plots before entering homes. Bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella may be carried in the water and left in the silt. They can cause diarrhoea, stomach pain, vomiting and fever. The areas to watch most closely are food preparation spaces, plates and bowls, and young children's bottles.
Rice fields and grain stores attract many rats. In a flood, Leptospira bacteria shed in rat urine mix into water and mud. People who wade or clean without boots and gloves are at risk, especially with cuts on their feet or hands. Warning signs include sudden high fever, headache, severe muscle pain especially in the calves, and red eyes. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor immediately and mention wading in floodwater.
Norovirus and rotavirus cause diarrhoea and vomiting and pass easily via hands, toys, dishes and contaminated surfaces. RSV and influenza are respiratory viruses that spread readily among children in the rainy season, particularly when pupils return to poorly ventilated classrooms together. Parents should watch for fever, coughing and laboured breathing and take children to a doctor if they do not improve.
Agencies such as the CDC advise cleaning and drying within 24 to 48 hours after floodwater recedes to limit mold. When rain keeps falling, many households cannot manage that, so mold spreads slowly across wooden walls, under floors, behind cabinets, in mattresses and in books. Airborne spores can worsen allergies, asthma and lung conditions, and some children develop a persistent blocked nose, sneezing or itchy rashes.
A lingering post-flood smell is a sign that germs and moisture remain: fermenting silt, mold, sewage from drains and rotting paddy. These odours soak into wood, fabric and the air of closed rooms. Masking them with fragrance helps only briefly.
People who need extra care include schoolchildren and toddlers, older adults, pregnant women and people with conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, asthma or allergies. Fever, persistent diarrhoea, breathing difficulty or calf pain after wading all call for a doctor straight away.
Children's and older adults' health. Many rural households are grandparents raising grandchildren. When a home is damp and moldy, both groups are the first to develop breathing symptoms.
Farm income. The report noted farmland damage. With less income from fields and orchards, families must spend carefully. Getting the recovery order right from the start avoids paying twice, for example repainting a wall only to repaint it again when mold pushes the paint off.
Children's schooling. School closure meant lost lessons, and flooded books, uniforms and bags need replacing. A musty bedroom also disturbs children's sleep.
Time and labour. Villagers split their energy between restoring fields, repairing homes and caring for family, so thorough cleaning often gets postponed while mold quietly spreads.
Shovelling silt, washing the house and letting air through are essential first steps, and families are right to do them. For homes that stood in water for a while and remain in the rainy season, though, these steps have limits.
The core problem is that germs and odours are not only on visible floors. They are in the air, in corners and in materials that soaked up water. A step that works across the whole room is needed after basic cleaning and drying.
World Health Disinfection (WHD) provides residential and building ozone disinfection for homes, condos, offices, schools, hotels, factories and healthcare facilities. Ozone (O3) is a strongly oxidising gas. Released in a closed room, it spreads throughout the space, breaks down the structure of bacteria, viruses and mold spores, and breaks apart odour molecules. It then reverts to oxygen (O2), leaving no chemical residue.
According to test results certified for the company by the Thai Department of Medical Sciences and Intertek (UK), WHD's ozone treatment eliminates viruses, bacteria and mold by 99.99%.
The process in brief
Safety rules. Ozone is used only in empty, closed spaces. No people, pets or plants may remain inside. Re-enter only after the rest and ventilation period the technician gives. For schools, treatment must take place on a day when no pupils or staff are in the building. Ozone is an added step after cleaning and drying. It does not replace washing, repairs or medical treatment.
WHD is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok 10160, and has no branch in Phitsanulok. Service in Noen Maprang is arranged by phone and LINE, with travel and scope confirmed when you get in touch. Same-day arrival cannot be guaranteed.
This question comes up often in Ban Pluak Ngam, because the flood happened on 21 August 2026, weeks ago. If the house still smells musty, shows mold or family members still have allergy-type breathing symptoms, the problem is still there and still worth tackling.
Note: results depend on the house's condition, how dry materials are and how well it was cleaned. Heavily molded or rotten items should be replaced.
Example case to explain the process, not a real customer review.
Tom works in Phitsanulok town and visited his mother and two children at their single-storey wooden house in Chomphu in late September. Long after the water had gone, the house still smelled musty, the bedroom wall had spots of mold and the children's mattresses smelled bad.
He started by throwing out the flooded mattresses and pillows, scrubbing mold off the wooden walls with cleaner, removing rotten lower boards, washing the kitchen and wiping every food cupboard. He aired the house for several days when the rain paused, then messaged LINE @whd268 with photos and room sizes to plan travel and the number of zones.
On the appointment day, his mother and the children stayed with relatives. The technicians sealed and treated each zone, the bedroom, living room and kitchen, then rested and ventilated the rooms. When the family returned, the musty smell was noticeably lower. Tom plans to buy new mattresses raised off the floor and asked his mother to open the windows every morning.
Does WHD have a branch in Phitsanulok?
No. WHD is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok. Service in Noen Maprang is planned by phone at 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268, with travel confirmed when you get in touch.
The water went down weeks ago. Can I still use ozone?
Yes. If musty smells or mold remain, treating a dry house is actually a good time, but scrub visible mold and replace rotten materials first.
Can a school use the service?
WHD treats many building types, including schools. Those responsible for the building can consult to plan, and treatment must happen while the building is empty.
Can children stay home during treatment?
No. Rooms must be empty of people, pets and plants. Re-enter after the rest and ventilation period.
My child has had a cough since the flood. Will ozone cure it?
Ozone reduces germs and mold spores in the home but is not a treatment. If a child has a lingering cough, fever or laboured breathing, see a doctor.
Send photos, floor area and the post-flood condition of your home or building so the team can assess it and plan travel to Phitsanulok.
Call 065-556-6294 | LINE @whd268
Note: event details and figures follow the dates in news and DDPM reports and change daily. Please follow the latest local announcements.
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