Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri rejected a private Facebook page’s forecast of a major flood between September 24 and 27, labelling it “fake news” and urging the public to rely on information from official agencies instead.
The Facebook page ที’ ลมฟ้าอากาศ (T Weather) warned earlier this week that a major flood could occur within 120 hours and urged followers to prepare. The flood forecast was widely discussed online as heavy rain continued in several parts of the country.
The page said a major flood was expected between September 24 and 27 in Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Chanthaburi, Trat, Sa Kaeo, the Khao Yai area of Nakhon Ratchasima and several low-lying areas in the Central region, including Bangkok and surrounding provinces.
It also claimed that flooding in Prachin Buri could involve toxic substances in water sources and urged followers to avoid contact with floodwater as much as possible.
The forecast attracted public attention partly because the page had previously gained a following after correctly predicting major flooding in Hat Yai, Songkhla.
Government officials have previously challenged the page’s flood forecasts, saying some of its warnings were exaggerated and could cause public concern.
The latest post was also challenged, and the page disappeared from Facebook temporarily before its administrator created a new page and continued sharing weather information and supporting material.
On September 23, Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri addressed the forecast and urged people to assess information shared on social media carefully.
“We must carefully consider and filter news found on social media. We cannot stop it, as we often do not know who is disseminating the information,” Songsak said.
Songsak said the Facebook page administrator did not have the same tools available to government agencies which monitor weather conditions and issue official forecasts.
However, Songsak acknowledged that heavy rain was expected in parts of the North, Central and Northeastern regions between September 24 and 26. He said the forecast did not indicate a major flood of the scale described by the Facebook page and said relevant agencies had prepared preventive measures.
When asked whether current rainfall and catchment areas could handle the expected water volume, Songsak said the situation remained manageable. He said water-management preparations were already in place.
Songsak also suggested that the alarming Facebook post could be “fake news” intended to cause panic. He said rainfall was occurring in some areas but that the overall situation was not considered difficult to manage.
Despite the government’s assessment, some Thai social media users, particularly people living in areas mentioned in the private forecast, continue to monitor rainfall and water levels.
Others have questioned the government’s assessment by referring to the Facebook page’s previous Hat Yai forecast, which they say was accurate despite earlier official criticism.
The TMD has advised the public to follow official weather and disaster warnings rather than relying on unverified social media forecasts.
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