Bangkok and 61 provinces on storm alert, pack a 72-hour bag

If water started seeping into your street tonight and the power went out across the neighbourhood, where in your home are the things you would need for the first three days? Your regular medicine might be in the bathroom cabinet, your ID card in your wallet, a torch in some drawer, and a few bottles of drinking water in a fridge that has already stopped working. Walking room to room in the dark, gathering things while the water reaches your door, is a situation nobody wants to be in.

That question got closer this week. Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) warned Bangkok and 61 provinces to prepare for thunderstorms, strong gusts and flash floods from 5 to 9 November 2026, The Nation reported. DDPM director-general Nirat Pongsitthaworn ordered local agencies to keep pumping trucks, flat-bottomed boats and rescue teams on standby around the clock. Around the same time, the DDPM published a list of what goes in a '72-hour bag', six groups of items every household should pack before a disaster.

Cold air from China is behind this round of storms

The storms come from a high-pressure area, or another mass of cold air from China, spreading over upper Thailand and the South China Sea, according to advisory No. 6 from the Thai Meteorological Department, issued on the morning of 4 November. A high-pressure area is a body of air that is colder and heavier than the air around it. When it moves south and meets the hot, humid air still sitting over Thailand, the two push against each other and form thunderclouds, gusts and, in some places, hail. Thais know this time of year as "the end of the rains and the start of the cold".

The same cold air also strengthens the easterly winds over Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand. Those winds blow across the gulf towards the southern coast, so the South gets more than the short burst of storms the other regions see: it faces heavy rain for several days. In thunderstorm areas of the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, waves may top 2 metres, so boat crews should take care and keep clear of the storms.

Upper Thailand gets storms from 5 to 7 November, and the South's heaviest rain falls at the weekend

The DDPM split its warning into two periods. In the first, from 5 to 7 November, Bangkok and 47 other provinces in upper Thailand must watch for thunderstorms: 16 in the North, 10 in the Northeast and 21 across the Central and Eastern regions. The storms start in the Northeast, then move to the North, the Central region, Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, and finally the East. On all three days, anyone driving or riding a motorcycle home in the evening should allow extra time, and when the rain comes, shelter inside a building, not under a big tree, a billboard or a temporary shed.

The second period is longer and heavier. From 5 to 9 November, all 14 southern provinces must watch for flash floods and runoff from the hills: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. The rain will get heavier from 7 to 9 November, Saturday to Monday. Anyone planning a beach or waterfall trip in the South this weekend should check provincial announcements before leaving, because the DDPM has told provinces to inspect caves and waterfalls and close spots at risk of flash floods.

A flash flood is different from standing floodwater that rises little by little. It is water that arrives fast, within hours of heavy rain. Homes on slopes near streams or in low-lying areas have the least time to prepare, and they are the ones a bag packed in advance helps most.

72 hours is how long you may need to look after yourself before help arrives

The 72-hour figure was not picked at random. The DDPM uses an international benchmark that treats the first three days after a disaster as the period when government help is not yet fully organised. Roads may be cut, shops closed, and power and phone signal lost. For those three days each household relies on what it has, so the bag works like insurance for the time between calling for help and help arriving.

The DDPM's Disaster Prevention Promotion Division splits the preparation into two kits, PPTV reported. The first, the "survival bag", is for evacuation: light enough to pick up on the way out of the door, with enough for 24 hours. The second is a reserve kept at home, for when you can stay inside but cannot go anywhere, with enough for 72 hours.

The heaviest, bulkiest item is drinking water. The DDPM recommends at least 3 litres per person per day. For a household of four, three days comes to 36 litres, or 24 bottles of 1.5 litres. That will not fit in one backpack, so the reserve water should sit in packs at home, and the survival bag should carry only enough for the first day.

Six groups of items you can pack in one evening

The DDPM's list has six groups, and almost everything on it is already in your home. The real work is putting it in one place. Start at the medicine cabinet. The first group is medicine and health: a first-aid kit, basic household medicines, regular prescriptions and medical records. Then go to the kitchen. The second group is drinking water and ready-to-eat food, energy snacks, and food for young children, older people or anyone sick in the household.

The third group is communication and tools: a phone and power bank, a torch and spare batteries, a radio, a whistle, candles, a lighter, a notebook and pen, a pocketknife, scissors, rope and tape. A battery radio is a way to hear announcements that still works when the power is out and your phone is dead, and a whistle lets you call for help without shouting yourself hoarse.

The fourth group is documents and cash. Make copies of your ID card, house registration, health insurance card, driving licence, bank book and land title deed, and put them in waterproof zip bags with spare house and car keys and cash in small notes, because cash machines and QR payments may not work in a power cut. The fifth group is personal hygiene: tissues, a toothbrush, toothpaste, washing things and rubbish bags. The last group is clothing and bedding: spare clothes, a raincoat, a hat, and a blanket or sleeping bag.

Use a light, waterproof bag, keep it somewhere easy to reach, such as by the door or under the stairs, and check it from time to time to make sure nothing is missing and the medicine and food are still in date. If there are children or older people at home, tell everyone where the bag is, so nobody has to look for it on the day.

Save the numbers and finish the bag before the rain

The first rain arrives on Thursday, 5 November. Before then, there are two things you can do tonight. First, save the DDPM's free 24-hour hotline, 1784, or add its LINE account, @1784DDPM, to report emergencies, along with the Thai Meteorological Department's 1182 hotline for weather updates. Second, finish the bag. People in the South have two more days before the heaviest rain from 7 to 9 November, but the sooner it is packed, the less you will have to think about on the day you need it.

FAQ

When does the storm reach Bangkok?

The DDPM has told Bangkok and 47 provinces in upper Thailand to stay alert from 5 to 7 November 2026. The storms start in the Northeast, then move to the North, the Central region, Bangkok and the East.

How long must the South stay alert?

All 14 southern provinces must watch for flash floods and runoff until 9 November 2026. The heaviest rain is expected from 7 to 9 November.

How much drinking water do I need?

At least 3 litres per person per day. A household of four preparing for three days needs 36 litres, or 24 bottles of 1.5 litres.

Who should I contact in an emergency?

Call the DDPM hotline, 1784, free at any hour, or use its LINE account, @1784DDPM. For the weather, call the Thai Meteorological Department on 1182.

Sources

• The Nation: Bangkok and 61 provinces on alert for storms and flash floods
• The Nation: What's in your 72-hour emergency bag? DDPM lists 6 essentials
• Thai Meteorological Department: Variable weather in upper Thailand and heavy to very heavy rains in the South, No. 6
• PPTV: ภัยพิบัติไม่บอกล่วงหน้า! เตรียมกระเป๋าต้องรอด รับมือวิกฤต 72 ชั่วโมง