Pattaya Floods: 1 Tourist Missing, 2 Saved From Canal

Pattaya, Thailand – Severe flooding has inundated the popular coastal city of Pattaya following a night of torrential downpours, creating dangerous conditions for residents and tourists alike. A critical incident occurred early Tuesday morning when three foreign tourists fell into a fast-flowing canal in the Nern Plub Waan area. While two were rescued, one man remains missing, and an intensive search is underway. The heavy rain began late Monday night and continued relentlessly into the early hours of Tuesday, overwhelming the city's drainage systems. Water from higher ground surged into main canals, causing them to overflow and inundate major thoroughfares such as Pattaya Third Road, Soi Buakhao, and Walking Street. Tourists navigating the flooded streets faced hazardous conditions. The distress call came around 5:00 AM to the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue foundation regarding the scene at Soi Mab Yai Lia 45. Responders arrived to find dark, fast-moving floodwaters concealing the edges of a large drainage canal. Eyewitness Tikorn Thongkanluang reported seeing three foreign men walking together through the flooded street just before the incident. According to his account, two men slipped and fell into the raging water, while a third managed to grab onto a nearby bridge railing. Tikorn heroically intervened, successfully pulling one of the fallen men to safety. However, the other man was instantly swept away by the powerful current. Security camera footage from a nearby house captured the sequence of events, showing the men walking together before the sudden fall. The video confirmed that one man, wearing a white shirt, disappeared underwater. Remarkably, the two surviving tourists left the scene shortly after their rescue, before providing full details to officials. Rescue teams are currently battling difficult conditions, including strong currents and poor visibility, as they scan the canal banks for any sign of the missing tourist. Authorities are working to identify the individuals involved, checking local hotels for missing guests. The incident highlights the vulnerability of the city's infrastructure to extreme weather events.