The Lam Mat Flood in Hin Khon: What Siam Rath Reported

According to Siam Rath on 3 October 2026, water from seven upstream districts of Buriram, namely Ban Kruat, Non Din Daeng, Pakham, Prakhon Chai, Lahan Sai, Chaloem Phra Kiat and Nang Rong, flowed into the Lam Mat river, which overflowed into six villages in Hin Khon subdistrict, Lam Plai Mat, affecting more than 1,000 households (source: Siam Rath).

The same report said the road from Ban Hin Khon to Ban Krathing was under 30 to 50 centimetres of water for more than one kilometre. Villagers used farm tractors pulling trailers to carry motorcycles across the flooded stretch, and about 3,200 rai of rice fields were damaged.

Nationally, the Government Public Relations Department reported Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation figures as of 06.00 on 7 October 2026: 27 provinces plus Bangkok, 123 districts, 984 subdistricts, 1,154,875 households and more than 3.1 million people affected. Figures change daily, so follow district and provincial announcements.

What these facts tell us is that the Hin Khon flood travelled a long way through farmland and then stood in paddies and on roads for days. Water like that collects germs from paddy soil, animal urine and manure, and community sewage along its whole route, and brings them into every house it reaches.

Example Case: A Farming Family by the Lam Mat Who Crossed the Water by Tractor

This is a typical scenario based on common situations in rice-field floods, not an interview with real people.

Uncle Somchai and Aunt Boonmee have farmed rice all their lives. Their raised wooden house stands near the flooded road. While the Lam Mat was high, their son loaded his motorcycle onto a neighbour's tractor trailer every morning to cross the water to work in town, and their two grandchildren missed several days of school.

Water filled the space under the house and the ground-floor kitchen. Fertiliser sacks, some rice and farm tools went under. The chickens were moved onto a bamboo platform and the two cows were tied up on the higher road embankment. Somchai waded out to check his paddy every day, collecting scratches from rice stubble on his legs.

As the water dropped, it left black mud mixed with straw, cow dung and chicken droppings under the house. A musty smell rose to the upper floor and mould spots appeared on the kitchen walls. The youngest grandchild had diarrhoea for two days, and Somchai complained of unusual calf pain. His son took him to a doctor, who immediately asked about wading in floodwater. The family had hosed the house several times, yet they still were not sure the kitchen was safe for cooking the children's rice.

Flood Germs in Hin Khon, Lam Plai Mat: From Paddy Fields, Animal Pens and Flooded Toilets

Because the Lam Mat flood crossed paddies, cattle pens, chicken coops and fish ponds and then stood for days, the germs to watch include paddy-soil bacteria well known in Isan, animal-borne germs, sewage germs, viruses that hit young children and moulds that thrive in wooden houses and rice stores. Here are twelve, with how the flood spreads them, where they hide, who is at risk and how to prevent them. This is general information, not treatment advice; see a doctor for any symptoms.

1. Leptospira (leptospirosis, the rice farmer's flood disease)

Field rats, cattle, buffalo, pigs and dogs shed Leptospira in urine. When paddies flood, the bacteria spread through standing water and paddy mud, so wading to check fields or crossing the flooded road means direct exposure. It lingers in mud under the house, on paddy dykes, in roadside puddles, pens, straw piles and rice stores where rats shelter. Expect sudden high fever, headache, strong calf and thigh pain and red eyes, sometimes jaundice or reduced urine. Farmers, livestock keepers and anyone with leg cuts are most at risk. Wear rubber boots, avoid wading with wounds, wash with soap after leaving the water and see a doctor promptly if fever follows.

2. Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis in paddy soil)

This bacterium lives in paddy soil and water, and northeastern Thailand has long been known for melioidosis. Flooding carries paddy mud under and into houses. It hides in silt, yards, vegetable plots, muddy puddles and dust from dried mud. It enters through wounds, inhaled droplets or dust, or swallowed water, and can cause prolonged fever, abscesses or pneumonia. People with diabetes, kidney disease or regular alcohol use, common among middle-aged farmers, face higher risk. Use boots, gloves and a mask when sweeping dried mud, and see a doctor about persistent fever or abscesses.

3. Escherichia coli (from pit latrines and septic tanks)

Many rural homes use pit latrines or septic tanks. Days of standing water raise the groundwater and push sewage up into the flood. E. coli signals faecal contamination, and some types cause diarrhoea, occasionally bloody. It hides in bathrooms, ground-floor kitchens, submerged containers, water jars and farm tools stored under the house. Discard flooded food, drink bottled or boiled water, wash and disinfect dishes, and take children or older people to a doctor if diarrhoea is frequent or they become very weak.

4. Salmonella (from chicken coops and household animals)

Chickens, ducks and many animals carry Salmonella. Flooded coops and animals moved close to people contaminate floors, stairs and shared platforms. It hides on bamboo platforms, verandas, feed bowls and eggs from flooded coops. Symptoms are fever, diarrhoea, cramps and vomiting; young children, older people and pregnant women should be careful. Keep animals away from sleeping and cooking areas, scrub off droppings before disinfecting and cook eggs and meat thoroughly. Salmonella is one of the organisms the CHEMGENE product information lists.

5. Campylobacter jejuni (poultry-linked diarrhoea)

Common in poultry intestines, it travels from village coops into wells, water jars and floors. It hides on chopping boards, knives, kitchen floors and jar water. It causes diarrhoea, sometimes with blood, cramping pain and fever. Keep raw-meat boards separate, wash hands after handling chickens and boil drinking water.

6. Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery)

This amoeba spreads from faeces to mouth, and its cysts survive in water and soil. Washing vegetables or dishes in floodwater is a common route. It causes mucus and blood in stools, straining and long-lasting abdominal pain, and occasionally a liver abscess. Boil drinking water, do not eat vegetables that were submerged and wash hands with soap after cleaning bathrooms.

7. Rotavirus (diarrhoea in young children)

Spread from faeces to mouth and very contagious among small children who are kept home or in shelters together. It hides on toys, feeding bottles, cots, nappies and changing areas. Vomiting and watery diarrhoea can quickly dehydrate children under five; seek care if a child is drowsy, passes little urine or has a very dry mouth. Wash hands after nappy changes, seal used nappies and ask a health worker about rotavirus vaccination.

8. Hepatitis A virus

Spread through contaminated water, ice and food when village water sources mix with sewage. It hides in water jars, flooded water dispensers, ice containers and kitchen surfaces. Symptoms include tiredness, nausea, pain under the right ribs, yellow eyes and dark urine, often weeks after exposure. Use clean water and ice, wash hands before preparing food and ask a doctor about vaccination if you are at risk.

9. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (germ of wet places)

Found in soil, water and damp surfaces, it multiplies in drains, showers, sponges and cloths after long flooding. It can infect wounds with green pus, cause outer-ear infections after soaking and inflame skin. Bedridden patients, people with diabetes and those with chronic wounds are most vulnerable. Replace flooded sponges and rags, dry ears after wading and keep wounds clean and dry.

10. Aeromonas hydrophila (fish ponds and paddy water)

A freshwater bacterium found in fish ponds, rivers and paddies. It hides in puddles, overflowing ponds, fishing gear and unwashed wet surfaces, causing swollen wounds after water exposure or fin pricks and diarrhoea if water is swallowed. Wear gloves when handling fish or gear and see a doctor if a wound swells or fever starts.

11. Penicillium and Cladosporium (moulds in wooden houses and rice stores)

Raised wooden houses and rice barns that stay damp for days in the rainy season grow mould easily. It appears on floorboards, kitchen walls, wet paddy and rice sacks, kapok mattresses, mats and mosquito nets. It triggers sneezing, coughing, eye irritation and asthma, especially in older people, children and people with lung disease. Sun-dry belongings, ventilate, do not eat or feed animals mouldy rice, and wear a mask when moving mouldy items. Fungi and mould are a group WHD's service information lists as covered.

12. Candida and skin fungi (from long hours in water)

Wading daily and wearing damp clothes keeps skin folds, the groin and toes moist, letting Candida and other skin fungi grow. They hide in towels, underwear, socks, damp boots and bathroom floors, causing itchy red rashes and cracked, sore toes. Shower and dry thoroughly after every wade, change into dry clothes and see a doctor if the rash spreads.

How this links to disinfection: all twelve shelter in mud, manure, sewage and damp. CDC and WHO advise removing mud, cleaning, drying and then disinfecting. For organisms WHD's pages name, such as Salmonella, norovirus, hand, foot and mouth virus, RSV, H1N1, H5N1 and fungi, the product information states coverage. Leptospira, Burkholderia, E. coli, Campylobacter, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, rotavirus and hepatitis A are not individually named, but belong to the bacteria, virus or fungi groups the product says it covers. For the amoeba, a parasite, washing and safe water remain essential. Ask WHD if you need test data for a specific organism.

What Hin Khon Families Risk by Skipping Disinfection

Children and grandparents: in many rural homes, older people care for grandchildren. Diarrhoea germs left in the kitchen hit both groups hardest because they dehydrate fastest.

Farm labour: the weeks after a flood are for repairing dykes, replanting and caring for animals. Leptospirosis or diarrhoea in the household delays all of it, on top of thousands of rai of damaged rice.

Unexpected costs: trips to hospital in town, lost workdays and replacing mouldy mattresses, mats and household items weigh on families who have already lost rice income.

Rice and feed: a damp rice store can turn mouldy, and contaminated feed can make animals sick.

School and community: children returning to class with diarrhoea or skin infections can spread them, so proper cleaning and disinfection protects the whole village.

Room by Room: Where Germs Hide in a Raised Isan House

Under the house: the open ground floor is where animals were kept and where mud, straw and manure settled. Posts, stair bases, platforms and tools need scrubbing before anything else.

Ground-floor kitchen: water jars, the sink, chopping boards, rice pots and food shelves were submerged. This is the most important room to clean thoroughly before disinfection.

Bathroom and toilet: sewage pushed up by groundwater makes this the main source of faecal germs. Clean it with separate tools.

Upper bedrooms: even if the water never reached them, damp air and mud carried on feet bring mould and germs upstairs to mats, mattresses and mosquito nets.

Rice store and yard: damp grain, sacks, puddles and the edges of fish ponds hold mould, Leptospira and soil bacteria.

Why Hosing Under a Lam Mat Riverside House Is Not Enough

• Wash water may not be clean: using flooded pond or well water to wash the house can add germs back. Use tap or treated water.
• Wood soaks up water and germs: floorboards, walls and posts absorb moisture deep into the grain and joints.
• Manure sticks and hides: dung mixed with mud clings to posts, stairs and platforms and must be scrubbed off first.
• Spot-wiping misses areas: under shelves, stair gaps and upper walls are often skipped, and home-mixed bleach can irritate the lungs.
• Musty smell is a warning: it means damp materials or mould remain; fragrance only hides it.

CDC flood guidance sets out the order: remove mud and debris, clean hard surfaces with soap and water, disinfect, and dry quickly to stop mould. WHO and Thailand's Department of Disease Control add boots and gloves, safe drinking water, handwashing and prompt medical care for fever or diarrhoea. Professional spraying is the thorough version of the disinfection step. It does not replace shovelling, washing, drying or seeing a doctor.

How WHD's Post-Flood Disinfection Spraying Works for Lam Plai Mat Homes

World Health Disinfection (WHD) is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok 10160, and has no branch in Buriram. Jobs in places like Hin Khon, Lam Plai Mat are arranged by phone on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268. Visit dates depend on the schedule and road conditions after the water recedes, so same-day service cannot be promised.

According to the service information, trained technicians spray and/or apply ULV (Ultra Low Volume) fine mist using CHEMGENE HLD4H, a medical-grade UK disinfectant containing Benzalkonium Chloride and Didecyldimethylammonium Chloride. The page lists viruses, bacteria and fungi including COVID-19, RSV, H1N1, H5N1 and hand, foot and mouth virus, claims 99.99% effectiveness, calls the product broad-spectrum, and cites the Department of Medical Sciences, Mahidol University, NHS England and EN 14476:2013+A2:2019.

1. Survey: send photos of the house, the space underneath, kitchen, bathroom, nearby pens and the tide line via LINE so the job and travel can be planned.
2. Clear and wash first: remove mud, straw and manure, wash with clean water and detergent and let surfaces dry as much as possible.
3. Zone: kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, the under-house area and former animal spaces are planned separately; food, rice and dishes are covered; people and animals leave.
4. Spray: floors, walls, posts, stairs, rails, doors and kept furniture, with ULV mist for wide spaces and corners.
5. Re-entry: the service information says about 30 minutes before normal use; follow the technicians' on-site timing and ventilate first.

Listed customers include hospitals, schools, malls, airports, offices, airlines, banks and residential buildings. The promotion includes a free CHEMGENE spray bottle and WELLGIENIC wet tissues, and tax invoices are available. For lingering musty air, ask about residential ozone disinfection.

10 Reasons Lam Mat Riverside Homes in Buriram Should Be Disinfected

1. The water crossed several districts, collecting germs from fields, pens and villages.
2. People, animals and rice share the same house; zoned spraying covers former animal areas.
3. The kitchen is the heart of the home; reduce diarrhoea risk before cooking again.
4. Protect children returning to school.
5. Safer surfaces for older relatives and people with diabetes.
6. A medical-grade UK disinfectant with stated approvals.
7. Trained technicians instead of home-mixed chemicals in poorly ventilated rooms.
8. ULV mist reaches posts, gaps and the under-house space.
9. Back in use after about 30 minutes, per the service information.
10. Free advice first on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268; see service details.

Before and After Disinfection: A Raised House by the Lam Mat

Recovery Checklist for Hin Khon and Lam Plai Mat

• Do not drive or walk through roads still under water; follow district announcements.
• Switch off power and have an electrician check sockets and wiring under the house.
• Wear rubber boots, gloves and a mask when shovelling mud or scrubbing manure.
• Clear mud, straw and manure, then wash with clean water and detergent.
• Throw away flooded or mouldy food, rice and animal feed.
• Clean and disinfect water jars and tanks; boil drinking water.
• Never mix bleach with toilet cleaner or ammonia.
• Air the house and sun-dry mats, nets and mattresses.
• Tell WHD technicians where animals or sewage were; keep people and animals out during spraying.
• Watch everyone for several weeks; see a doctor for fever, calf pain, jaundice, diarrhoea or infected wounds.

FAQ: Post-Flood Disinfection in Lam Plai Mat, Buriram

Does WHD have a Buriram branch?
No. WHD is based in Bang Khae, Bangkok; upcountry jobs are arranged on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268.

Can you spray where cattle were kept under the house?
Yes, after the mud and manure have been scrubbed off. Move the animals out during spraying and bring them back at the time the technicians advise.

Does it work against melioidosis or leptospirosis?
Neither organism is named on WHD's pages, but both are bacteria, a group the product says it covers. Ask WHD for specific test data. Boots and seeing a doctor for fever remain essential.

When can we go back in?
The service information says about 30 minutes, but follow the technicians' on-site instructions.

What should we do with damp rice?
Discard mouldy or musty grain, never eat it or feed it to animals, then clean and dry the store before disinfection.

Whole house or ground floor only?
It depends on the water level and damp. Technicians assess from your photos and focus on areas water and animals reached.

Rice-Field Flood Germs by the Lam Mat: Our Disinfection Service Helps Prevent and Eliminate Them

Paddy-soil bacteria, animal-borne germs, sewage, diarrhoea viruses in children and mould in wooden houses and rice stores: once your home is cleared and washed, WHD technicians finish the job with CHEMGENE HLD4H, a medical-grade disinfectant the service information describes as broad-spectrum against viruses, bacteria and fungi, so Hin Khon families can use their kitchen and the space under the house with confidence again.

Book Post-Flood Disinfection

Call 065-556-6294  |  LINE @whd268

Related Links and References

• WHD Disinfection Spraying Service
• CHEMGENE HLD4H medical-grade disinfectant
• Residential ozone disinfection
• Siam Rath (3 Oct 2026), Lam Mat overflows into six villages in Hin Khon: siamrath.co.th
• Government PR Department, DDPM flood figures (7 Oct 2026): prd.go.th
• CDC floods: cdc.gov/floods
• WHO fact sheets: who.int
• Thailand Department of Disease Control: ddc.moph.go.th