Flooding was a success – for guests and fish

Pornkamol Prangprempree thought it was over. When the Ta Chin River flooded, the restaurant she had owned for over 30 years was submerged.

"I was absolutely sure that no more guests would come," she says.

But then a guest posted pictures of the fish – and suddenly lots of people came here to eat.

Pa Jit Restaurant is located right next to the river. Flooding has caused large numbers of fish to swim into the premises, turning the Nakhon Pathom restaurant into a viral sensation.

Now, diners flock to dine with their feet in river water, fish swimming under the table. Waiters in waders serve fish soup and chicken noodles to astonished diners. The flood has given Pa Jit an unexpected boost: revenue has nearly doubled since the restaurant was flooded.

"It's so good to bring the kids here. When they see the fish, they become less fussy," says dinner guest Chomphunuth Khantaniti.

However, this year's monsoon rains have not been kind to everyone. Since July, about ten people have died in the floods, which, according to the government in Bangkok, have affected over 480,000 people in 13 different provinces.