The Ban Sang, Prachinburi Flood Situation in 2026 (B.E. 2569)

According to Matichon Online on 2 October 2026 (B.E. 2569), water from Prachinburi town and Si Maha Phot district flowed into Ban Sang district, raising levels and flooding every subdistrict. Residents began moving into 13 evacuation shelters, with 69 people registered at the time of the report (source: Matichon, 2 Oct 2026 / 2569).

Nationally, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) data as of 06:00 on 7 October 2026 (B.E. 2569), published by the Government Public Relations Department (PRD), showed 27 provinces plus Bangkok affected, with 123 districts, 984 subdistricts and 1,154,875 households, and more than 3.1 million people affected (source: PRD).

What stands out in the Ban Sang report is the ratio: 13 shelters open while the number of evacuees on that day was still modest. Every shelter therefore had to be ready to take more people at any moment if the water kept rising. With shelters spread across many locations, the team responsible for hygiene has to move between them easily, carrying equipment that can be lifted onto a pickup truck and put to work on arrival.

Example Case: The Fifth Night in a Temple Hall Turned Shelter

Note: this is an illustrative example case built from situations commonly seen in flood shelters. It does not describe any specific person or shelter.

The main hall of a riverside temple was opened as a shelter on the first day water entered the village. At first only a few families came, mostly elderly people, bedridden patients and small children. Within days the numbers grew. Mats and mattresses covered the floor. The temple toilets, built for visitors on holy days, were now in use day and night. The kitchen cooked three meals a day, and one corner of the hall had become a pile of donated goods that was getting damp from rain blowing in.

On the fifth night, Chanpen, a volunteer running the shelter, noticed two or three children vomiting and with loose stools. Several older residents were coughing constantly. The toilets smelled strongly even though they were washed many times a day. The volunteers had a few spray bottles and a bucket of floor cleaner, enough for only a handful of spots. The space under the tables, the toilet walls and the stacks of donation boxes were barely touched.

When public health staff visited, their first advice was to separate people with symptoms, get everyone washing their hands, and clean and disinfect shared areas regularly. The trouble was that the shelter had no equipment to disinfect the whole hall in the short window while people were moved to the other side. And in a few weeks, when the water fell, the temple would need its hall back, clean enough for ceremonies again. The question was not whether to disinfect, but how to get it done in time.

Why Shelters Are Hotspots for Germ Spread

A shelter brings many risk factors together. People live close to each other, toilets are too few, clean water is limited and food is cooked in bulk. Many evacuees have just waded through floodwater; their clothes and belongings are damp, and they are tired and short of sleep. The germ groups to watch are:

• Gut viruses such as norovirus and rotavirus, which spread easily through hands, surfaces, door handles and food, causing clusters of vomiting and diarrhoea, especially in children and older people.
• Respiratory viruses such as influenza and RSV, which pass easily when people sleep together in poorly ventilated halls and when droplets from coughs and sneezes land on surfaces everyone touches.
• Bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella from wastewater and poorly stored food, plus the leptospirosis risk from Leptospira among people who waded through water before arriving.
• Moulds on mats, mattresses, cardboard boxes and damp walls, causing musty smells and triggering allergies in sensitive people.

What makes a shelter different from a home is that shared areas are large and touched constantly. Disinfecting only the spots that look dirty is not enough. The work has to be systematic, thorough and regular.

Key principle: the sprayer helps the disinfectant reach everywhere, but germ inactivation comes from a registered disinfectant used according to its label. Dirt must be cleaned off first every time, and no spraying while people are in the area. Shelter disinfection therefore works zone by zone: move people out, spray, and wait for the label's re-entry time.

The Problems Shelter Managers Face

1. Large spaces in use 24 hours a day. Temple halls, assembly halls and gyms used as shelters often cover several hundred square metres and are occupied around the clock. The windows of time when an area is empty enough to disinfect are short, so the work must be quick.

2. Few carers, many tasks. Volunteers cook, distribute supplies, care for the sick and manage waste. Disinfecting spot by spot with cloths or spray bottles takes so long that it never gets finished.

3. Vulnerable people gathered together. Older people, those with chronic illness, pregnant women and young children are usually evacuated first, and they are the first to fall ill if an outbreak starts in the shelter.

4. Many shelters spread out. As in Ban Sang, with 13 shelters, the team has to rotate between sites. Equipment that needs mains power or complicated setup does not fit.

5. Buildings must be returned. When the water falls, the temple needs its hall and the school needs its classrooms. Handing back a building that still smells musty or carries stains damages the relationship with the owner and makes it harder to borrow the building next time.

6. Evacuee confidence. Some families avoid shelters for fear of catching an illness. A shelter with visibly good hygiene makes it easier for those who should evacuate to come in, which reduces the risk of people staying in flooded homes.

Why Spray Bottles, Cloths and Hand Pumps Are Not Enough for a Shelter

• Spray bottles and cloths suit small high-touch points like door handles and taps, but cannot cope with a whole row of toilet walls, a kitchen floor or a large hall, and they consume a lot of volunteer time.
• Hand-pump sprayers give uneven pressure and coarse droplets. Liquid pools on the floor, making it slippery and slow to dry, which is a poor fit for a building that people must re-enter soon.
• Electric sprayers need a socket and a cable running through crowded spaces, a trip hazard, and power in some shelters is unreliable during floods.

Many people search for a thermal fogger when they think of spraying a shelter, so the distinction matters. A thermal fogger uses heat to turn liquid into a white fog and is mostly used outdoors for mosquito control. The SOLO PORT 423 is a mistblower: an engine-driven fan blows the liquid into fine droplets without heat, which suits applying disinfectant to surfaces inside and around buildings.

The Answer for Shelters: The SOLO PORT 423 Backpack Mistblower

The SOLO PORT 423 is a motorised backpack mistblower made by SOLO Kleinmotoren GmbH in Germany. One person carries it and sprays on the move, with no power cable. It lifts onto a truck and goes straight to the next shelter, which matches the way shelter networks are spread out.

Engine, power, tank, airflow, reach, weight and sound figures are according to manufacturer data from SOLO. The ULV and under-30-micron figures are according to WHD product information; real droplet size depends on nozzle and settings.

Why it suits shelters. In a large hall, the operator stands along the centre line and sweeps the tube toward the walls on both sides. Up to 1,400 m³/h of airflow and roughly 12 m of reach, according to SOLO, carry droplets into corners, under tables and up the walls, so each zone is finished quickly and handed back to evacuees sooner once the label time is met. Fine droplets settle as a thin film rather than pooling, so floors do not become slippery.

According to WHD product information, the unit has a rotatable spray tube, a long-reach nozzle and a wide-angle diffuser, letting the operator adapt to narrow toilet blocks or wide halls. The translucent, UV-resistant tank shows how much liquid is left. A one-hand control lever means spraying can stop instantly when changing direction or if someone walks near. A padded harness and four anti-vibration mounts reduce fatigue when covering several shelters in one day. For other accessories in the SOLO range, check compatibility with the dealer.

About the chemical: germ inactivation depends on the disinfectant, not the machine. Choose a registered disinfectant suited to the surfaces, such as Chemgene HLD4H sold by WHD, and follow the dilution, contact time and re-entry time on its label. Bedding and fabrics should be laundered with detergent and dried in the sun. Food and food containers must always be removed or covered before spraying.

10 Reasons Shelter Operators Should Own a SOLO PORT 423

1. Finishes inside the short window when a zone is empty. Strong airflow and about 12 m of reach, according to SOLO, let each zone be treated quickly, so evacuees wait less.
2. No mains power. Works at any shelter even when electricity is unstable, with no cable running through areas where children play.
3. Several shelters in one day. At 11.0 kg dry according to SOLO, it goes onto a pickup and on to the next site immediately.
4. 12 L tank. Enough to treat a full toilet block or a hall section before refilling.
5. Saves chemical when resources are tight. WHD product information describes the unit as ULV and says it saves chemical, which matters when donations and emergency budgets are limited.
6. No slippery puddles. Fine droplets form a thin film, reducing the risk of older evacuees slipping when they return.
7. Reaches what cloths miss. Toilet walls, gaps under tables, donation shelving and roof frames, thanks to the rotatable tube.
8. Closes out the job before handover. When the shelter closes, the team can wash and then disinfect the whole hall quickly before returning it to the temple or school.
9. Frees up volunteers. One trained volunteer can handle spraying for a building while others care for evacuees.
10. Useful every year. Outside flood season it serves other disease control and sanitation work with suitable chemicals. See the SOLO PORT 423

Before and After: A Shelter With a Backpack Mistblower

This comparison is an illustrative example. Real results depend on shelter size, number of evacuees, team size and the disinfectant used.

Step by Step: Disinfecting a Flood Shelter While Open and Before Handover

Phase 1: While the shelter is open (zone rotation)

Step 1. Define zones. Divide the shelter into clear zones: sleeping, toilets, kitchen, dining and donation storage. Set a timetable for when each zone is treated, choosing times when people can easily move elsewhere.

Step 2. Move people and belongings. Announce in advance. Move evacuees, children, pets, food, medicines and personal items out of the zone, or cover what cannot be moved. Bedridden patients are moved first.

Step 3. Clean first. Sweep, mop and wash off dirt, vomit and bodily waste with water and detergent. Cleaners wear gloves and masks.

Step 4. Spray. Mix a registered disinfectant per the label, fill the tank, put on full protective equipment, and spray from the far end back toward the door. Focus on toilets, sinks, handles, rails, dining tables and lower walls.

Step 5. Wait and ventilate. Keep the zone closed until the label's contact time and re-entry time are met. Open doors and windows, then let evacuees back in.

Step 6. Record. Note date, time, zone, chemical and operator so the next shift knows what has been done.

Phase 2: Before handing the building back

Step 7. Clear and sort. Remove mats, mattresses and leftover donations. Discard items that stayed damp long enough to grow mould.

Step 8. Deep wash. Wash all floors, walls, toilets and the kitchen. Let everything dry with good ventilation.

Step 9. Whole-building disinfection. Spray every room systematically from top to bottom, inside and around the building, including temporary waste points, then wait for the label time.

Step 10. Hand over and maintain the unit. Return the building with a record of cleaning and disinfection. Rinse the tank and nozzle with clean water, clean the air filter and store the unit dry as the manufacturer's manual directs.

Safety When Using a Mistblower in a Shelter

• Never spray with people or pets in the zone. Use tape and signs and post someone at the entrance, because children and older people may wander in without noticing.
• Hearing protection: 97 dB(A) at the operator according to SOLO. Operators must wear ear muffs or plugs, and spraying should be timed so it does not disturb evacuees' rest.
• Vibration: limit each spraying session and rotate operators with regular breaks.
• Chemical PPE: gloves, goggles or a face shield, a respirator, long sleeves and boots as the disinfectant's label and safety data sheet (SDS) require.
• Safe refuelling: engine off and cool before refuelling; refuel outdoors, away from kitchen stoves, flames and cigarettes; keep fuel away from children.
• Weight: 11.0 kg dry according to SOLO, roughly 23 kg or more with a full 12 L tank. Adjust the harness snugly and lift correctly.
• Re-entry times: follow the label strictly, especially for sleeping zones used by children and patients.
• Training: operators should be trained in using the machine and mixing chemicals before working in the field.

If evacuees develop fever, calf pain, severe diarrhoea, breathing difficulty or symptoms that do not improve, contact public health staff or take them to a doctor. Disinfection reduces environmental risk; it is not medical treatment.

Own a Unit, or Call in a Service?

Organisations that open shelters most years, such as district offices, local governments or disaster foundations, benefit most from owning a SOLO PORT 423, because it is ready from the first day a shelter opens. For pricing and procurement documents, request a quotation from WHD directly.

Organisations not yet ready to buy, or that want a professional team to disinfect a whole building before handover, can choose the WHD disinfection service. That is a separate service, delivered by WHD's team with the service's own equipment and chemicals.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How often should a flood shelter be disinfected?

High-touch points like handles and taps should be cleaned daily. Whole-zone spraying should follow a rota advised by public health staff, and should happen promptly after anyone vomits or has diarrhoea, once the area has been cleaned.

2. Can we spray while people are inside the shelter?

No. Move people and pets out of the zone first and wait for the re-entry time on the disinfectant label.

3. What is the SOLO PORT 423 price?

It depends on quantity and accessories. Please request a quotation from WHD on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268.

4. Mistblower vs thermal fogger: what is the difference?

A thermal fogger uses heat to make fog. The SOLO PORT 423 uses airflow to blow liquid into fine droplets without heat, which suits applying disinfectant onto surfaces.

5. Which disinfectant should a shelter use?

A registered product suited to the surfaces, such as Chemgene HLD4H sold by WHD, at the dilution and times on its label. Germ inactivation depends on the chemical.

6. How do we disinfect a temple hall or school before handing it back?

Remove everything, wash the whole building, let it dry, spray every room systematically, wait for the label time and hand over with a written record.

7. Does this backpack sprayer need electricity?

No. It has a 2-stroke petrol engine, so it works in shelters with unreliable power.

8. Is it loud enough to disturb evacuees?

Sound at the operator is 97 dB(A) according to SOLO, so spray only after the zone is cleared and choose times that do not disturb rest. Operators must wear hearing protection.

9. Can a foundation or temple buy one?

Yes. WHD sells to government agencies and organisations. Ask for a quotation on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268.

10. What if we do not have a unit yet?

Book WHD's disinfection service as a separate job by phone or LINE.

Prepare your shelters against germs this 2026 (B.E. 2569) flood season

Quotations and advice: call 065-556-6294 | LINE @whd268

Related Reading and References

• SOLO Port 423 backpack mistblower against dengue outbreaks, for municipalities and TAOs (Thai)
• Spraying against emerging diseases with the SOLO Port 423, for provincial public health offices (Thai)
• Chemgene HLD4H disinfectant
• WHD disinfection service
• Matichon, 2 Oct 2026 (B.E. 2569), Ban Sang, Prachinburi flood report: https://www.matichon.co.th/region/news_5917140
• PRD, DDPM data as of 7 Oct 2026 (B.E. 2569): https://www.prd.go.th/th/content/category/detail/id/33/iid/548715
• Department of Health, Thailand: https://www.anamai.moph.go.th/
• CDC flood guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/floods/