Safety
Drone Relief Operations Launched for Isolated Villages in Pua District
Emergency teams are using drones to deliver food and water to over 4,000 residents in Pua District, Nan Province, following severe infrastructure damage caused by flash floods.
As reported by Khaosod Online Thailand on August 22, 2026, a coalition of emergency response teams has initiated drone-based supply drops to assist 14 villages across three sub-districts in Pua, Nan Province. The affected areas—Phuka, Sila Laeng, and Woranakorn—have been isolated for four days after flash floods destroyed the Fai Chao Bridge and caused significant landslides that rendered local roads impassable.
Approximately 4,000 residents across 1,466 households are currently cut off from external access. The relief effort involves the Friends in Need (of Pa) Volunteers Foundation, the Thai Red Cross, the Prasat Bun Sathan Foundation, Kubota, and Singha Volunteers. These groups are utilizing specialized disaster-response drones to transport essential food and drinking water over the damaged infrastructure.
For residents and travelers in the region, this situation highlights significant disruptions to local transportation networks. While the Nan Highway District 2 and the Bridge Construction and Restoration Center are working to restore connectivity, the timeline for repairing the bridge and clearing the landslides remains unconfirmed. Travelers are advised to avoid the Pua area and monitor local updates from the Department of Highways regarding road closures. Authorities have prioritized the rapid reconstruction of the bridge to reconnect the isolated communities.