How one man kept Thailand’s floods at bay: ‘the only dry house in Songkhla’

Wicharit Leelakorn fortified his house with a makeshift flood-protection system after the first heavy rain fell on November 21

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Wicharit Leelakorn keeps his house dry with a makeshift flood-protection system during November’s floods in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, Thailand. Photo: Facebook/wicharit.leelakorn

Published: 6:05pm, 2 Dec 2025

As the floods recede in southern Thailand, close to 820,000 households are facing the daunting task of having to clear mud and debris brought in by raging waters that have reached as high as three metres (10 feet) in some places.

One man, however, has been spared the necessity of cleaning up: Wicharit Leelakorn, owner of what has been dubbed “the only dry house in Songkhla”.

Wicharit attracted the attention of social media users after he posted photos of his house on the outskirts of Hat Yai in Songkhla province, apparently unaffected by the floods that had reached up to the bumpers of his neighbours’ cars.

Hat Yai was one of the hardest hit districts in last week’s flood. Most of the area had been submerged for over a week, affecting more than 400,000 people, according to a report by The Nation on Monday.

Flooded fields in Hat Yai, Thailand’s southern Songkhla province, on Saturday. Hat Yai is one of the hardest-hit districts. Photo: Vantor / AFP

About 80 per cent of evacuees had returned by Monday, some to discover there was no home to return to.

A 79-year-old grandmother told the newspaper that her house was destroyed, leaving only its structure. “I don’t even know how to keep fighting any more. I’m old,” she said tearfully. “This year was the worst. My house … only the frame is left.”

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