The 2026 (B.E. 2569) Floods: Thailand and Ongkharak, Nakhon Nayok

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), as published by the Government Public Relations Department (PRD) with data as of 06:00 on 7 October 2026 (B.E. 2569), the 2026 floods affected 27 provinces plus Bangkok, 123 districts, 984 sub-districts and 1,154,875 households, more than 3.1 million people. Across these areas, many temples, mosques and churches were flooded themselves or opened their doors to help residents during the high water.

In Nakhon Nayok, Daily News reported on 5 October 2026 that after heavy rain from 24 to 27 September 2026, the Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam was holding 218.66 million cubic metres, or 97.61 percent of capacity, and had to release water into the Nakhon Nayok River. Flooding spread across four districts, reaching homes, resorts and temples. The areas mentioned include the surroundings of Wat Arun Rangsi in Bang Luk Suea and Bang Sombun sub-districts of Ongkharak district. Six relief kitchens were set up, including one in Sai Mun sub-district based at Wat Khlong Nueng.

These reports show the double role temples play in a flood. A temple is both a damaged site and a base for helping others. When the water drops, restoring the temple matters for the monks, for the lay community and for keeping the temple ready to serve as the community's hub.

Sources: PRD citing DDPM data as of 7 Oct 2026 (B.E. 2569), 06:00 (https://www.prd.go.th/th/content/category/detail/id/33/iid/548715); Daily News, 5 Oct 2026 (B.E. 2569) (https://www.dailynews.co.th/news/6250170/).

Example Case: The Morning the Water Left a Riverside Temple

Note: this is an illustrative example case built from situations commonly seen at flooded temples. It does not describe any specific real temple or person.

Throughout the week of flooding, the monks at a riverside temple moved up to the second floor of their quarters. The preaching hall, built on higher ground, became a store for villagers' belongings, and the kitchen beside it turned into a cooking point that fed the whole village. Uncle Sathian, the temple steward, waded through the water every day to tend the pump, carry sacks of rice and help people in and out of boats.

When the water finally drained from the temple grounds, the sight was heartbreaking. A hand-deep layer of mud covered the concrete in front of the ordination hall. Sewage from the septic tank had backed up into the shared toilets at the rear. Under the raised wooden monks' quarters the air smelled musty and mould was climbing the posts. Rubbish and broken branches littered the path between the hall and the kitchen, and the tents used for handing out food were damp and starting to smell.

More than twenty villagers turned up in the morning to help, in the old Thai tradition of communal work. Mud was shovelled out and floors were hosed down. But when it came to disinfection, the temple had only a hand-pumped sprayer borrowed from someone's orchard. Each volunteer applied a different amount. The space under the monks' quarters, the back of the toilets and the boundary wall, several hundred metres long, received almost nothing. By evening many helpers had to go home to clean their own houses.

That evening the abbot said to the SAO chief: "If our sub-district had one engine-powered sprayer that could blow mist a long way, we could help every temple here get properly covered, and people could come back to make merit with peace of mind." That idea is exactly what many communities are looking for after the 2026 floods.

Post-Flood Germs Temples and Places of Worship Should Watch

A temple brings together people of every age: older adults who come to make merit regularly, children who come with their parents and villagers who come to help. It also has a kitchen that cooks for many people, shared toilets and living quarters for the monks. When floodwater carries waste from septic tanks, drains and village animal pens onto the grounds, these germ groups need attention:

• Sewage bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, which cause diarrhoea and food poisoning and are a key risk for temple kitchens and charity food stalls.
• Leptospirosis. Temple grounds with trees and stored materials often have rats. Volunteers who clean without boots are at risk, and anyone with high fever and calf pain after wading must see a doctor straight away.
• Gut viruses such as norovirus and rotavirus, which spread via hands and shared surfaces such as stair rails, toilet doors and kitchen utensils.
• Respiratory viruses such as influenza and RSV, which spread easily in halls where many people sit together during the rainy season.
• Moulds on wooden posts, plaster walls, mats and curtains in halls and monks' quarters, affecting monks and older people with allergies or breathing problems.

What makes a temple different from a home is that it is a shared space used by the whole village. If the temple is not clean, flood germs can pass to many families on the same day, through food served at the charity kitchen, shared toilets and people sitting together in the hall.

Remember that disinfection always comes after mud removal and washing, and it is not medical treatment. Monks or villagers who fall ill after the flood need to see a doctor.

The Pain Points Temples Face After the Water Recedes

1. Large grounds and many buildings. A single temple has open grounds, an ordination hall, a preaching hall, a vihara, monks' quarters, a dining hall, a kitchen, shared toilets, parking and a boundary wall. Some temples cover several rai, so washing and disinfecting is many times bigger than for a house.

2. The workforce is mostly volunteers. Temples rely on villagers who help out of goodwill, but those villagers also have flooded homes to deal with, so help comes and goes. If each step takes a long time, the temple recovers slowly.

3. Religious life cannot wait. Traditional merit-making ceremonies, ordinations and the regular prayers and services of each faith all need clean and safe spaces. Postponing them for long weighs on a community that has just been through hardship.

4. Visitors are vulnerable. Older adults visit temples most often and are the least able to fight off infections. Temple cleanliness is directly linked to their health.

5. Special needs of sacred spaces. Buddha images, scriptures, murals, wood carvings and sacred objects must be treated with respect and should never be sprayed directly with chemicals. The work needs a plan and people who understand both disinfection and the care of sacred objects.

6. Limited budgets. Most temples depend on donations. Hiring an outside team after every flood can be a burden, while a machine owned by the sub-district or a temple network and shared between several sites can be more cost-effective in the long run.

Why Pump Sprayers and Mops Are Not Enough for a Whole Temple

Every temple already has brooms, mops, hoses and pump sprayers, and they remain essential for washing. When it comes to spreading disinfectant over several rai, though, problems appear:

• Short reach. Under the monks' quarters, gaps between buildings, long walls and high hall eaves are hard to reach; operators must crouch or climb in.
• Inconsistent quality. With many volunteers taking turns, each uses a different amount: some spots are drenched, others barely touched.
• Tiring and slow. Pumping by hand all day wears people out, and a one-day job can stretch over several days.
• Wasted chemical. Large drops run onto the ground and drain away without wetting surfaces for the contact time on the label.

That is why temple networks and SAOs are looking at engine-powered backpack sprayers, which use air from a fan to carry spray further and more evenly, a natural fit for large multi-building sites such as temples.

The Answer for Temples and Places of Worship: SOLO PORT 423

The SOLO PORT 423 is an engine-powered backpack mistblower made by SOLO Kleinmotoren GmbH in Germany and sold by World Health Disinfection (WHD). The engine spins a fan that creates a strong air stream. Pre-mixed solution from the tank is released into the air at the end of the tube, breaks into droplets and is blown a long way. The operator can stand on the temple grounds and let the mist reach under the monks' quarters, beneath the eaves and along the boundary wall without entering every gap.

Key Specifications (according to the manufacturer, SOLO)

According to WHD's product information, the unit is a ULV type with droplets under 30 microns, which saves chemical. Actual droplet size depends on the nozzle and settings.

Features That Suit Temple Work (according to WHD's product information)

• A long, rotatable spray tube and wide-angle diffuser, so you can target floors and walls and steer clear of sacred objects.
• A one-hand control lever for throttle, flow and stop, so you can halt instantly near sensitive spots.
• A translucent, UV-resistant tank with a clear level view and a wide filler.
• A padded harness and 4-point anti-vibration mounts to make volunteers' work more comfortable.
• Made in Germany with MAHLE parts, a BING carburettor and a Nikasil-coated cylinder.

Optional kits for special tasks exist in the SOLO range. Ask WHD first to choose a setup that suits the temple's needs.

A Mistblower Is Not a Thermal Fogger

Many villagers know the "fogging machine" that the SAO brings to spray for mosquitoes around temples and villages, and may assume this is the same kind of machine. The SOLO PORT 423 is not a thermal fogger. A thermal fogger uses heat to turn chemical into white smoke-like fog, while the SOLO PORT 423 uses air, not heat, to break liquid into droplets.

For a temple this matters. Post-flood work is about getting a water-diluted disinfectant, mixed according to its label, to wet the grounds, walls, posts, under-floor spaces and toilets evenly for the full contact time. There is no thick smoke drifting into the ordination hall, and no heat source near old wooden buildings. If the temple also needs mosquito control, talk to WHD or the SAO about the right machine and product for that job.

10 Reasons Temples, Places of Worship and SAOs Should Own a SOLO PORT 423

1. Covers wide grounds quickly. Maximum airflow of 1,400 m³/h according to SOLO lets you treat grounds, parking and paths far faster than before.
2. Reaches under quarters and eaves. About 12 metres of horizontal reach carries mist to places people struggle to get into.
3. A 12-litre tank for continuous work. Fewer refill stops while moving between buildings.
4. Works with few volunteers. One trained operator covers a lot of ground, freeing others to wash and sort belongings.
5. Saves chemical. WHD describes ULV-type fine droplets that wet surfaces evenly without running off.
6. Precise direction control. The rotatable tube makes it easier to avoid Buddha images, murals and sacred objects than splashing chemical around.
7. One machine can serve many temples. An SAO or municipality can buy it as official equipment and rotate it between temples, mosques, schools and public buildings in the area.
8. Useful all year. Beyond floods, it supports deep cleans before annual festivals or community outbreak response under local plans.
9. German durability. Quality parts, according to WHD, suit equipment expected to serve for years.
10. Expert advice included. WHD can guide you on chemicals, technique and maintenance. See the SOLO PORT 423.

Before and After: Temple Recovery When the Water Drops

Step by Step: Cleaning and Disinfecting a Temple After a Flood with the SOLO PORT 423

These are general steps. Consult the abbot or religious leader, and always follow the disinfectant's label and safety data sheet (SDS).

1. Plan with the religious leader. Divide the site into grounds, ordination hall, preaching hall, monks' quarters, kitchen, toilets and boundary wall. Mark where sacred objects are and agree the order of work.
2. Protect sacred objects first. Move scriptures, amulets and portable items to a dry, safe place. Cover Buddha images or fixed items with clean plastic sheeting, never spray chemicals on them directly, and clean them with methods suited to the material on expert advice.
3. Check building safety. Inspect soaked timber structures, keep power off in flooded buildings until an electrician has checked them, and watch for snakes sheltering under raised floors.
4. Remove mud and rubbish. Shovel mud, collect branches and debris, and discard kitchen food and ingredients that touched floodwater.
5. Wash. Hose the grounds, scrub floors and walls, and clean toilets and the kitchen with detergent, then let surfaces drain. Leftover mud reduces disinfectant performance.
6. Choose a registered disinfectant. Use a properly registered product whose label covers the surface, such as WHD's Chemgene HLD4H, mixed at the label rate. Efficacy depends on the chemical and contact time, not on the sprayer.
7. Invite monks and villagers to leave the zone. Announce the spraying time in advance, cordon off the area, and make sure no people, children, temple dogs or cats remain.
8. Check the machine and put on PPE. Inspect the tank, hoses, nozzle and harness. Refuel only with the engine off and cool, well away from incense, candles and flames. Wear ear protection, gloves, goggles, a respirator as the label requires, coveralls and boots.
9. Spray to plan, with the wind. Start upwind and treat the grounds, walls, posts, under-floor spaces, toilets and boundary wall until evenly damp but not running. Avoid sacred objects and never spray into the wind or toward people.
10. Wait, clean up and record. Respect the label's contact and re-entry times, rinse kitchen utensils and food-contact surfaces as directed, rinse the tank and lines with clean water and log the work.

After reopening, set up handwashing points, ventilate halls and quarters until dry, watch for returning mould and clean shared toilets more often in the early weeks.

Safety When Using a Mistblower at a Temple

• Protect your hearing. Sound pressure at the operator is 97 dB(A) according to SOLO. Always wear earmuffs or earplugs, and avoid spraying during chanting or religious services.
• Vibration. Limit session length, rotate operators and take breaks, especially volunteers unused to engines.
• Chemical PPE. Follow the label and SDS: chemical-resistant gloves, goggles, a respirator, long sleeves and boots.
• Fuel and fire. Refuel only when the engine is off and cool, away from incense, candles, kitchen stoves and sparks. Store fuel outside wooden buildings.
• Weight. 11.0 kg empty; with a full 12-litre tank it can exceed 23 kg. Adjust the harness and let physically fit people operate it.
• No people or animals in the area. Monks, villagers, children and temple animals stay out of the spray zone until the label's re-entry time.
• Train before use. Learn starting, flow adjustment, emergency stop and maintenance from the manufacturer's manual.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How should we start disinfecting a temple after a flood?

Plan with the abbot, move or cover sacred objects, remove mud, wash, let surfaces drain, then spray a registered disinfectant according to its label and wait the required time before welcoming people back.

2. Can disinfectant be sprayed on Buddha images?

Do not spray chemicals directly on Buddha images, murals or sacred objects. Move or cover them first, and clean them with methods suited to the material on expert advice.

3. What is the SOLO PORT 423 price?

It depends on quantity, accessories and procurement terms. Contact WHD for a quotation on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268.

4. Can an SAO buy one as official equipment to help local temples?

Yes. WHD can supply specifications, a quotation and procurement documents. Check the equipment category and process with your procurement officer.

5. Can the SOLO PORT 423 replace a thermal fogger?

They are different machines. The SOLO PORT 423 is an air-driven mistblower with no heat, suited to applying water-based disinfectant on surfaces. For mosquito control, ask WHD which machine and product fit.

6. There is mould under our wooden monks' quarters after the flood. What should we do?

Scrub off visible mould, ventilate until the timber is fully dry, then spray a product whose label covers mould on that surface. If the timber is badly damaged, have a builder inspect it before use.

7. How do we disinfect a temple kitchen safely for food?

Discard food that touched floodwater, wash utensils and surfaces, use a product labelled for food areas, wait the contact time and rinse direct food-contact surfaces as the label directs.

8. Is the SOLO PORT 423 backpack sprayer heavy? Can volunteers use it?

It weighs 11.0 kg empty according to SOLO and over 23 kg with a full tank. Volunteers can use it after training, with full PPE and limited session times.

9. What if our temple is not ready to buy a machine?

Temples or agencies that do not want to buy can hire WHD's disinfection spraying service, which is a separate service.

Help Your Temple Become the Community's Refuge Again, Safely

The 2026 (B.E. 2569) floods in Ongkharak, Nakhon Nayok and elsewhere showed that temples and places of worship sit at the heart of relief and recovery. The SOLO PORT 423 backpack mistblower helps temples and SAOs disinfect large areas quickly and thoroughly. Ask for a quotation and advice today.

See the SOLO PORT 423 and Request a Quote

Call 065-556-6294 | LINE @whd268

Related Reading and References

• SOLO PORT 423 against dengue outbreaks for municipalities and SAOs (Thai)
• Spraying against emerging diseases with the SOLO Port 423 for provincial public health offices (Thai)
• Chemgene HLD4H disinfectant
• WHD disinfection spraying service (separate service)
• DDPM flood data as of 7 Oct 2026 (B.E. 2569): PRD
• Nakhon Nayok floods, Wat Arun Rangsi, Ongkharak, 5 Oct 2026: Daily News
• Flood cleanup guidance: CDC