Old 2025 Songkhla deluge photos falsely shared in 2026
Thai PBS Verify traced the misleading information to a Facebook post.
The post claimed that heavy overnight rain had caused flooding and left water waiting to drain in Chana district on Oct 28. It also expressed support for residents affected by the supposed flooding.
The post claimed that heavy overnight rain had caused flooding and left water waiting to drain in Chana district on Oct 28. It also expressed support for residents affected by the supposed flooding.
The Facebook account shared the photographs with a message saying: “Oct 28, 2026: An update on the water situation in Songkhla this morning. There is flooding and water waiting to drain following heavy rain overnight. Sending encouragement to everyone in Chana district, Songkhla.”
The post received about 2,200 reactions, 132 comments and more than 82 shares.
Was the photograph genuine?
Thai PBS Verify initially conducted a reverse-image search using Google Lens but found no previous online publication of the photographs.
It then searched for the Thai keywords “Chana flooding” and found matching images on the Facebook account of Pinyaphat Athicharunthananan. They had been shared on Nov 25, 2025.
A comparison showed the image in the disputed post on the left and the photograph published by Pinyaphat Athicharunthananan on the right.
Meanwhile, the public-relations Facebook page of Chana Technical College had shared photographs and video showing college director Supakkanisorn Rungruang leading administrators, teachers and education personnel in providing assistance to flood victims.
Working with Songkhla vocational education authorities under the Office of the Vocational Education Commission, the team delivered 100 boxed meals and 20 dozen bottles of drinking water to flood victims around the Ha Yaek Krong Nok Khao intersection in Chana district.
The page said that the intersection and nearby areas were under deep, fast-flowing floodwater, causing severe hardship for residents and making the roads impassable to small vehicles. The material was published on Nov 24, 2025.
Thai PBS Verify later contacted Chok Amnuai Karn Chang, a business visible in one of the photographs. The shop confirmed that the picture showed flooding in November 2025, not an event on Oct 28, 2026. It also said there was no standing floodwater in the area when contacted.
Google Maps
Thai PBS Verify also checked Chana station’s water data on the THDATA website. Rainfall was recorded at 109.8 millimetres, but there was no indication that water had overflowed the riverbanks.
What is the current situation in Chana?
Chana municipality said that photographs being circulated as scenes of flooding on the morning of Oct 28, 2026, were actually taken during floods in 2025.
The municipality said heavy rain began in the municipal area at about 5pm on Oct 27, causing water to accumulate while drainage was under way. Officials installed pumps at three locations to speed up drainage.
The rain began to ease at about 6.30pm, and the standing water started to recede at around 8.30pm.
The situation has since returned to normal, with no standing floodwater or flooded roads in Chana municipality, officials said.
The municipality urged people to verify information before sharing it, warning that disseminating false information could violate Thailand’s Computer Crime Act and Criminal Code.
What are the facts?
The photographs shared as evidence of flooding in Chana district on Oct 28, 2026, were genuine images of a flood, but they were taken during an earlier incident in November 2025.
Chok Amnuai Karn Chang, the shop visible in the photographs, confirmed that the images were taken during the November 2025 floods. It also said there was no standing floodwater in the area when Thai PBS Verify made its inquiry.
Although the THDATA website recorded 109.8mm of rainfall at Chana station, that information alone could not prove that the photographs showed flooding on Oct 28, 2026, as claimed.
Verification Process
- Reverse-image search: Thai PBS Verify searched for the photographs using Google Lens but initially found no previous online publication.
- Keyword search: A search using the Thai phrase “Chana flooding” located matching photographs shared by Pinyaphat Athicharunthananan on Facebook on Nov 25, 2025.
- Local confirmation: Chok Amnuai Karn Chang, a business appearing in the photographs, confirmed that they showed flooding in November 2025, not an event on Oct 28, 2026. It said there was no standing floodwater when contacted.
- Official data: THDATA recorded 109.8mm of rainfall at Chana station, with no indication that water had overflowed the riverbanks.
Impact of the false information
- The misleading post could create a false impression about the flood situation in Chana district.
- It could also cause alarm among local residents and people with relatives living in the area.
- Sharing outdated photographs as current information could leave the public with an inaccurate understanding of the situation.
- The claim could also affect travel plans and people’s assessments of whether it is safe to enter the area.
What to do with this misinformation?
- Check the date and source of photographs before believing or sharing them, particularly images of natural disasters that may have been taken during previous incidents.
- Use reverse-image-search tools such as Google Lens to determine where and when an image was previously published.
- Follow updates from government agencies and reliable news organisations to obtain current information about floods.
- If an old photograph is being misrepresented as a current event, avoid sharing it and inform others of the correct facts.
- Before travelling to an affected area or offering assistance to flood victims, always confirm local conditions through reliable sources.
