Floods and Spillovers: Households After the 2011 Great Flood in Thailand

Abstract

In 2011, Thailand experienced its worst flood ever. Using repeated waves of the Thai Household Socio-Economic Survey, we analyze the flood’s economic impacts. In 2012, households answered a set of questions on the extent of flooding they experienced. We use this self-identified flood exposure and external exposure indicators from satellite images to identify both households that were directly affected and those that were not directly flooded but their communities were (the spillovers). We measure the direct and indirect impacts of the disaster on income, expenditures, assets, and debt and savings levels for spillover households. We also analyze the flood’s impacts across different socioeconomic groups.