Foreign man goes viral for swimming in floodwater on Bangla Road, Phuket
Flooding issues persist across Phuket tourism hotspots, to the ire of netizens
A foreign man went viral on Thai social media after a video showed him sitting on a rubber ring and enjoying the floodwater on Bangla Road in Phuket.
A Thai man filmed the foreigner floating in the middle of the flooded road and shared the video on his Facebook account yesterday, October 23, with a caption reading, “#NewSwimmingPoolNearMe #Happiness #BanglaPatong.”
In the video, the foreign man is seen sitting on a rubber ring, laughing, dancing, and spinning around in the water. The floodwater was shallow, reaching only around ankle level.
The video quickly gained attention from Thai netizens and local media outlets. Some online users expressed concern about the dirty floodwater, while others found the foreigner’s behaviour amusing.
Many netizens criticised Phuket’s local authorities for allowing popular tourist areas to flood every year. One sarcastic commenter suggested that officials should use the viral clip to promote Thai tourism by inviting foreigners to “enjoy a dirty swimming pool in the middle of the road.”
According to a report by the Thai Meteorological Department, heavy rain from tropical storm Fengshen caused flooding on several roads across Phuket. Locals and tourists were warned of heavy to very heavy rain from October 23 to 26.
Phuket Governor Sarayut Srikrueanet led a team to inspect the flood situation at Bang Yai Canal near the Chartered Bank intersection in Phuket City Municipality, where water overflowed its banks and flooded nearby roads amid continued rainfall and concerns about rising sea levels.
The sea level reportedly peaked at around 11pm yesterday, October 23, before receding after midnight. Officials expect floodwater levels to return to normal today, October 24, if there is no further rainfall.
Several videos circulating online also showed foreign visitors evacuating from flooded hotels, carrying their belongings and children through waterlogged streets. Some recorded the scenes as a reminder of their unexpected travel experience in Thailand.
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