UPDATE: Mudslide blocks Patong road as heavy rain triggers Phuket flood alert

Mud and debris blocked Soi Nanai 5 in Patong on Monday, 26 October 2026, after heavy rain caused flooding and runoff across Phuket.

Vice governors Suwit Phansangiam and Romdon Hayiawae inspected affected areas from 7:30am with Patong Mayor Lalita Maneesri, disaster prevention officials and other agencies. Mudslides and water runoff affected Soi Nanai 5 and Soi Nanai 8, where waste and debris accumulated on the roads. Soi Nanai 5 was temporarily impassable as water continued flowing down from the hills.

Authorities deployed excavators and other machinery to remove mud, clear drainage channels and restore access. Officials and municipal workers also helped residents move belongings to safer locations and cleaned affected roads and surrounding areas.

By morning, water levels in Soi Nanai 5 and Soi Nanai 8 had returned to normal, although mud and debris still needed to be cleared. Flooding had also eased in Soi Ratchapathanuson and Soi Bangla in Patong, as well as in parts of Mueang Phuket and Thalang districts.

The Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command Centre reported 13 affected areas in Kathu District. Flooding had subsided in four locations in Mueang Phuket and six in Thalang.

Rainfall and warnings

Rainfall stations recorded more than 100 millimetres in 24 hours at three locations, according to the provincial disaster command centre. The highest total was 142.8mm at Khlong Ka Tha Reservoir in Chalong, followed by 135mm at Ban Na Yai in Chalong and 127.8mm at Bang Neow Dam Reservoir in Srisoonthorn, Thalang.

At 7:30am, the Thai Meteorological Department’s Southern Meteorological Centre (West Coast) reported rain clouds over all three Phuket districts and the Andaman Sea off the island’s west coast.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) issued a Cell Broadcast alert at 8:30am warning that continuing rain could cause flash floods, forest runoff, landslides, overflowing waterways and flooding in low-lying areas, along riverbanks and near foothills.

Residents were advised to move belongings to higher ground, take precautions against electrical hazards and protect vulnerable people, including elderly residents, bedridden patients, children and people with disabilities. Authorities urged the public to avoid Soi Nanai 5 and other high-risk areas while clean-up work continued.

Shelters and emergency assistance

Patong Municipality opened an assistance centre and designated three temporary shelters: the Patong Municipal Office, Wat Suwan Khiri Wong School and Patong Bay Hill Hotel.

Thai PBS reported that Deputy Governor Suwit Phansangiam later distributed sticky rice and fried chicken to flood victims near Soi 7 in Ban Kanchana on Nai Nai Road in Patong. The Phuket Red Cross and Phuket Interior Ministry Housewives Club prepared 300 meal sets for response workers and residents affected by the flooding and mudslide.

Residents needing emergency assistance can contact the municipality’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Division around the clock on 076-342600. The DDPM national emergency hotline is 1784.

DDPM Regional Office 18 supplied a 12,000-litre water truck for Kamala, along with a front-end loader and a six-wheeled dump truck for Patong. The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation deployed a backhoe loader, two dump trucks, two water trucks with capacities of 12,000 and 6,000 litres, two single-cab pickup trucks and one four-door pickup truck to Patong.

The equipment is being used to remove mud and silt, clear debris and wash down roads and affected areas.

The Meteorological Department warned that heavy to very heavy rain would continue in parts of southern Thailand, including Phuket, and forecast further heavy rain on Wednesday, 28 October. It said accumulated rainfall could increase the risk of flash floods, forest runoff and flooding in low-lying areas.

Mariners were advised to avoid areas affected by thunderstorms, where waves could exceed two metres. Local administrative organisations have prepared sandbags and personnel, while authorities continue monitoring rainfall and water levels around the clock.