The Ko Thepho Flood, Uthai Thani, 2026 (B.E. 2569)

According to TNews on 5 October 2026 (B.E. 2569), Ban Ko Sawan community, Moo 6, Ko Thepho subdistrict, was flooded to about 1 to 1.5 metres by water from the Chao Phraya basin and the Sakae Krang River. Five subdistricts were affected: Ko Thepho, Nam Sum, Sakae Krang, Hat Thanong and Tha Sung. Water also covered the bridge over the Sakae Krang River, the main route into town, cutting it off for several weeks (source: TNews, 5 Oct 2026).

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, covering 123 districts and 984 subdistricts, with 1,154,875 households and more than 3.1 million people affected (source: PRD, DDPM data as of 7 Oct 2026).

Ko Thepho is surrounded by river. When the main bridge floods, getting in and out is hard, and bringing in equipment, disinfectant and outside labour for recovery is slow. That is a key reason why local authorities in places like this should keep essential equipment of their own. When the water falls, the local team must be able to start immediately, without waiting for roads or bridges to reopen.

Example Case: A Riverside Childcare Centre Parents Are Waiting to Reopen

Note: this is a typical scenario based on situations commonly seen in local child development centres after flooding. It does not describe any specific person or centre.

Kaew is a caregiver at a small child development centre in the Sakae Krang river basin. The centre looks after about forty children aged two to five in a single-storey building with two classrooms, a nap room, a kitchen, children's toilets and a front play yard with climbing frames, a sandpit and a lawn.

When water from the Chao Phraya basin and the Sakae Krang River spread in early October 2026, the centre closed at once. Teachers and local officials carried nap mats, toys, picture books and kitchen equipment as high as they could, but with water at about an adult's chest, many things went under. The whole play yard became a pool of murky water.

Weeks later the water began to fall. It left thick mud on classroom floors, a tide line almost a metre up the walls, a musty smell in the nap room, a sandpit full of mud and rubbish, and steel play equipment coated in sediment. Many parents needed to get back to work and called every day: "When will the centre reopen? Is it safe for my child yet?"

Kaew knew that reopening quickly matters to families, but children's safety matters more. Young children crawl, sit on the floor, touch everything and put their hands in their mouths, so a quick wipe is not enough. The local team had only a few people and one pump-up sprayer, and had to look after the childcare centre, the community hall and the office at the same time. The question was how to be fast and thorough at once.

Why Young Children Face More Risk Than Adults After a Flood

Children under five have immune systems that are still developing, their small bodies lose fluid quickly during diarrhoea, and normal behaviour such as crawling, mouthing objects and playing in sand brings them into closer contact with germs left on surfaces.

Bacteria from floodwater and mud

Floodwater that has passed through communities, animal pens and submerged sanitation can carry E. coli and Salmonella, linked with diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. Mud and standing water contaminated with animal urine may carry a risk of Leptospira, the cause of leptospirosis. Adults who clear mud should always wear boots and gloves.

Viruses that spread easily among children

Rotavirus and norovirus are major causes of diarrhoea in young children and spread very easily through hands, toys and contaminated surfaces. Respiratory viruses such as RSV and influenza often rise in the rainy season and pass quickly between children in close contact. After a flood, many children may have stayed together in relatives' homes or shelters, so when they return to the centre at the same time the risk of spread is higher.

Mould in nap rooms and classrooms

Nap mats, mattresses, floor carpets, curtains and walls that stay wet are ideal for mould. Children with allergies or asthma may flare up when sleeping in a musty room, so drying the building completely and discarding materials that cannot be cleaned is very important.

A key reminder: the sprayer does not disinfect anything by itself. A properly registered disinfectant does that, and in a place that cares for children the product and method must be chosen with special care according to the label. If a child has severe diarrhoea, is drowsy, refuses to drink or has a high fever, parents should take them to a doctor at once.

The Problems Childcare Centres and Local Authorities Face After the Water Recedes

Parents need the centre open

After the flood, parents must return to work, repair homes and earn money. A long closure makes life hard for families, so local authorities are under pressure to reopen quickly, but safely.

Cut-off routes, slow help

When the main bridge is under water for weeks, waiting for outside teams or equipment may take too long. Authorities with their own equipment can start as soon as the water drops.

Many sites at once

One TAO or municipality may need to restore the childcare centre, community hall, office, market and public spaces at the same time with limited staff.

Large, complex outdoor play areas

Play equipment, sandpits, lawns, the space under raised buildings and perimeter fences are wide areas that pump-up sprayers reach slowly, yet they are where children spend much of their time.

Community trust and equipment budgets

The childcare centre is the face of local government. If several children fall ill soon after reopening, parents' confidence drops at once. Many authorities also want equipment that serves several missions through the year, which makes one versatile machine better value.

Why a Pump-Up Sprayer and Wiping Alone Are Not Enough for the Whole Centre

Washing with water and detergent, and wiping toys one by one, are essential and must be thorough. But for wide areas such as play yards, lawns, fences, under-building spaces and exterior walls, a pump-up sprayer alone has limits.

• Slow and tiring. Constant hand pumping, large drops and short reach mean walking up to every spot.
• Patchy coverage. Under play equipment, along fences and beneath raised floors are hard to reach.
• Run-off. Large drops pool, so some spots get too much product and others none.
• Tired staff. When officers cover several sites, quality drops late in the day.

A motorised backpack mistblower uses air to carry droplets far and spread them well, suiting outdoor and wide areas. Inside classrooms, and for toys and surfaces children touch closely, hand washing and wiping remain essential. Using both methods together gives the best result.

The SOLO PORT 423: Standard Equipment for Large-Area Disinfection in Local Government

The SOLO PORT 423 is a motorised backpack mistblower made by SOLO Kleinmotoren GmbH, Germany, and sold in Thailand by World Health Disinfection (WHD), which names government agencies and large organisations as its main users. For local authorities that run child development centres, it helps apply disinfectant across play yards, lawns, building surroundings, under-building spaces and other public buildings in the subdistrict.

Key specifications according to SOLO

Source: SOLO manufacturer data. Real-world results depend on nozzle and settings.

Features according to WHD's product information

• Made in Germany with MAHLE parts, a BING carburettor and a Nikasil-coated cylinder.
• ULV output with droplets under 30 microns that saves chemical, according to WHD's product information; actual droplet size depends on the nozzle and setup.
• Long nozzle and wide-angle diffuser on a rotatable spray tube.
• UV-resistant translucent tank with a wide filler.
• One-hand lever for throttle, dosing and stop.
• Padded harness and four-point anti-vibration mounts.
• Optional kits in the SOLO range; ask the dealer.

How it differs from a thermal fogger

Many local authorities know thermal foggers from community mosquito control. Those machines use heat to turn liquid into smoke. The SOLO PORT 423 is a mistblower that uses air to break liquid into small droplets, with no smoke, which suits applying water-based disinfectant to surfaces over large areas.

Choose products carefully for childcare settings

Use a properly registered disinfectant suitable for the surfaces, strictly per its label, for example Chemgene HLD4H, sold by WHD. Check what the label says about food-contact or mouth-contact surfaces and any rinse step, and where it requires rinsing, rinse with clean water before children use the item.

Ground rules for childcare centres

Spray only when no children are on site. Use the engine machine outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces only. Never spray toys, nap mats or food containers directly; wash and wipe those by hand. Children return only after the label re-entry time and after ventilation.

10 Reasons Local Authorities Should Own a SOLO PORT 423 for Childcare Centres

1. Act at once, even when routes are cut. A machine on site means no waiting for outside help.
2. Wide play yards done fast. About 12 m of horizontal reach, according to SOLO, speeds up lawns, play equipment and fences.
3. Reaches under buildings and into corners. Up to 1,400 m³/h of airflow carries droplets beneath play equipment and raised floors.
4. 12-litre tank for long runs. Fewer refills when covering several sites in a day.
5. Many missions. Childcare centres, community halls, markets, offices and public spaces, with suitable products. See SOLO PORT 423 details
6. Year-round equipment. Useful in hygiene plans at the start of term or during outbreaks.
7. German durability. MAHLE and BING components, according to WHD's product information, for years of use.
8. Less strain on staff. One officer handles outdoor spraying while teachers and cleaners focus on detailed washing.
9. Reassurance for parents. You can tell parents the centre was washed, dried and its outdoor areas disinfected step by step before reopening.
10. Expert advice. WHD advises on products and operation. Call 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268. Request an agency quotation

Before and After the Authority Owns a SOLO PORT 423

Step by Step: Restoring and Disinfecting a Child Development Centre After the Flood

Step 1: Check the building is safe

Have an electrician check wiring, sockets and fans before power is restored. Check the structure, ceilings and steel play equipment, and watch for snakes and centipedes hiding in cupboards or piles of belongings.

Step 2: Plan with teachers and parents

Choose working days when no children are present, tell parents the steps and the expected reopening date, and divide the site into classrooms, nap room, toilets, kitchen, play yard, sandpit and surroundings.

Step 3: Remove debris and mud

Shovel as much mud as possible from classrooms and the yard and collect rubbish and driftwood, wearing boots, rubber gloves and a mask.

Step 4: Sort flooded items

Soaked nap mats, mattresses, soft toys, books and carpets should generally be discarded, since they are hard to make safe for children. Hard plastic toys can be set aside for washing, and mud-contaminated sandpit sand should be considered for full replacement.

Step 5: Wash every surface

Scrub floors, walls, doors, tables, chairs, toilets and the kitchen with clean water and detergent, and hose down outdoor equipment and fences. Be as thorough as possible; disinfectant works only on clean surfaces.

Step 6: Dry the building completely

Open every door and window, run fans and let sunlight reach open areas. Check corners and under shelves for mould, and wait for damp walls to dry before use.

Step 7: Prepare product and machine outdoors

Dilute per the label, read the SDS, refuel with the engine off and cool away from the kitchen and flames, fill the tank, check caps and hoses, and start the machine outside.

Step 8: Spray outdoor zones

Start with fences, lawn, play yard, play equipment, under-building spaces and exterior walls. Walk so the wind carries droplets away from you, use the diffuser close to equipment and the long nozzle along fences, and reduce throttle so product settles as a thin film. An empty classroom with all doors and windows open may be treated at low throttle, or wiped instead.

Step 9: Wash and wipe items children touch closely

Toys, dining tables, food trays, cups and children's sinks should be disinfected as the label directs for mouth-contact or food-contact surfaces, then rinsed as the label requires before use. Never spray these with the engine machine.

Step 10: Re-entry time, final check and records

Wait for contact and re-entry times, ventilate, then have a teacher do a final walk-through for any odour or residue. Record date, zone and product to share with parents, rinse the machine as the manual describes and store it dry.

Safety When Using the SOLO PORT 423 Around a Childcare Centre

• No children nearby. Operate only when the centre is closed and no children are around, including in neighbouring yards.
• Hearing protection. 97 dB(A) at the operator according to SOLO; always wear earmuffs or earplugs.
• Limit working time. Take breaks because of vibration and rotate operators.
• Chemical PPE. Chemical-resistant gloves, goggles or face shield, a respirator suited to the label, long sleeves or coveralls, and boots. Follow the label and SDS.
• Safe refuelling and storage. Engine off and cool, outdoors, away from the kitchen and flames. Store fuel and chemicals locked away from children.
• Full weight. 11.0 kg dry according to SOLO; about 23 kg or more with 12 litres. Beware of slippery mud.
• Never spray people, animals, food or water sources. Cordon and signpost the zone.
• Re-entry time. Children and teachers return only after the label time and ventilation.
• Training. Operators should be trained and read the manufacturer's manual first.

Buy as Standard Equipment, or Hire a Disinfection Service?

For local authorities in low-lying areas that flood repeatedly and may be cut off, owning a SOLO PORT 423 lets the local team act immediately and use it for childcare centres, public buildings and hygiene work all year. Agencies not yet ready to buy, or without trained staff, can use WHD's disinfection spraying service as a separate option and contact WHD directly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Disinfecting Childcare Centres After a Flood

What is the SOLO PORT 423 price, and can a TAO get a quotation?

Pricing depends on accessories and quantity. Agencies can request a quotation from WHD on 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268, or view the SOLO PORT 423 product page.

What must a flooded childcare centre do before reopening?

Check electrical and structural safety, remove mud, discard soaked items that cannot be cleaned, wash every surface, dry completely, then disinfect with a registered product per its label.

Can a mistblower be used in children's classrooms?

It is designed for outdoor and well-ventilated areas. An empty classroom with everything open may be treated at low throttle, but toys and close-contact surfaces should be washed and wiped by hand.

Can flooded toys be used again?

Hard plastic toys can be washed, disinfected per the label and rinsed. Soft toys and toys with holes or foam inside should generally be discarded.

Is the SOLO PORT 423 a thermal fogger?

No. It is an air-driven mistblower that does not use heat to make smoke.

When should disinfection start after the Uthai Thani flood of 2026 (B.E. 2569)?

When the water has fallen, the site is safe, electrics have been checked and mud has been washed off. Follow local announcements on water levels and routes.

When can children return after spraying?

After the label contact and re-entry times, ventilation, and any rinse the label requires on surfaces children touch. Spraying over a holiday and reopening the next working day works well.

How heavy is it when full?

11.0 kg dry according to SOLO, about 23 kg or more with 12 litres. Operators should be fit and trained.

What should parents do if a child gets diarrhoea after a flood?

Give oral rehydration solution as advised and see a doctor at once if the child passes stools often, vomits a lot, is drowsy, refuses to drink or has a high fever.

Is there a childcare centre disinfection service if we have not bought a machine?

Yes. WHD's disinfection spraying service is a separate option. Call 065-556-6294 or LINE @whd268.

Help Your Childcare Centre Welcome Children Back Safely

The 2026 (B.E. 2569) flood in Ko Thepho, Uthai Thani, shows that local authorities must be ready to rely on themselves when routes are cut. The German-made SOLO PORT 423 helps local teams restore play yards and centre surroundings faster. Ask about specifications and request an agency quotation today.

View SOLO PORT 423 and Request a Quote

Call 065-556-6294 | LINE @whd268

Related Articles 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 spraying service
• TNews (5 Oct 2026): https://www.tnews.co.th/social/social-news/660780
• PRD, DDPM data as of 7 Oct 2026: https://www.prd.go.th/th/content/category/detail/id/33/iid/548715
• CDC flood guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/floods/