Woman gives birth in pickup truck as floods block hospital entrance in eastern Thailand

A Laotian woman gave birth in the back of a Toyota pickup truck on Sukhumvit Road in Rayong province, eastern Thailand, this morning. She gave birth right outside the hospital, but couldn’t get in because the entrance was completely flooded.

Rayong has been hit particularly hard by the heavy rainfall and flash flooding experienced in Thailand this week. Today at 9.49am, a woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy inside the back of a pickup truck in front of Klaeng Hospital.

Despite the flooding which has affected several areas of Rayong city, 26 year old Daowee, from Laos, made it to the hospital. However, Daowee couldn’t reach the delivery room due to the deep water blocking the hospital’s entrance.

Doctors and midwives waded through the flood to get to Daowee and helped her to deliver a healthy baby boy in the back of the pickup, parked on the side of the road. The delivery took only 30 minutes in total.

After the delivery, the hospital staff managed to get Daowee and her baby, weighing 5.9lbs, into the hospital where they cut the baby’s umbilical cord. The baby is healthy and Daowee is safe and recovering well in the hospital.

Daowee’s husband said that Daowee started to have abdominal pains, so he hurriedly put her in the trunk of the pickup truck and headed for Klaeng Hospital. However, Daowee’s husband said he came across several flooded roads and had to take a detour, which delayed their arrival at the hospital.

As soon as Daowee arrived at the hospital entrance, her water broke, so her husband rushed into the hospital to get help. Daowee’s husband said he is so happy that his wife and child are safe and thanked everyone who helped Daowee to give birth.

Daowee’s husband said the baby is the couple’s second child, joining their four year old son.

Naturally, Thais are using the pickup’s registration, the baby’s weight and date of birth to figure out lottery numbers, believing Daowee’s childbirth to be a very auspicious occasion.

On Wednesday, a songtaew truck, carrying 15 students, was almost swept away in the flood in Rayong province.

Yesterday, 140,000 chickens drowned when a poultry farm flooded, also in Rayong’s Kwaeng district.

SOURCE: KhaoSod