CHIANG RAI: The economic centre of Thailand’s northernmost province is now inundated, with floodwaters reaching waist-deep levels and continuing to rise due to the overflowing Kok River.
Flooding on Thursday led to the closure of Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport, with a Thai AirAsia flight departing at 1.10pm the last flight to operate.
Officials announced the closure of roads and bridges in Muang district on Thursday morning, affecting access to key locations, including Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport, the five-way Pho Khun intersection and the provincial hall.
Evacuations began Wednesday night, as residents were unable to remain in the ground-floor homes due to strong currents. Jet skis were deployed to aid in evacuating those trapped by the fast-flowing floodwaters.
Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital in Muang district reported on Thursday that it was only treating emergency cases.
Muang district is among six districts affected by floods in Chiang Rai. The others are Chiang Khong, Chiang Saen, Mae Chan, Mae Fah Luang and Mae Sai.
More than 10,000 households have been affected, with three deaths reported in Mae Fah Luang. (Story continues below)
A marine police officer carries a boy through deep water in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on Thursday. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)
Local residents clean up near the Mae Sai border checkpoint in Chiang Rai on Thursday. (Photo: Hug Mae Sai Facebook)
Sai River falling
In Mae Sai district, officials said the level of the Sai River was falling and Phahon Yothin Road, which had been heavily flooded, was back to normal on Thursday.
But conditions in downtown Muang district remained critical.
The Mae Sai border checkpoint has not yet been reopened for motorists to travel to Myanmar as the system at the checkpoint was damaged by flooding and affected areas need to be cleaned up.
Myanmar nationals who had been left stranded on the Thai side during the flooding were expected to travel back to their country on foot on Thursday, but Thai officials had to coordinate with Myanmar immigration officers first.
Vendors at the Sai Lom Joy market on the border came to their shops to begin cleaning up damage on Thursday morning.
Residents were now able to enter the Koh Sai community, which was earlier inaccessible. However, some locations were still under water.
Navy officers, police, rescue workers and officials from tambon Mae Sai municipality on Thursday went to evacuate residents who had been stranded in their flooded homes for more than two days.
Marine police with flat-bottomed boats were deployed from three stations in the province to help evacuate flood victims. In some locations that boats could not reach, police had to wade through floodwater to evacuate victims, mostly the elderly, women and children.
In Muang district, rescue teams and boats were deployed to help evacuate flood victims from their houses after the Kok river burst its banks, sending a huge volume of water to flood many downtown areas. Floodwater at the Phor Khun intersection were about 30 centimetres high.
Suttipong Juljarern, the permanent secretary for the Interior Ministry, said many roads inundated after the Sai River overflowed were once more navigable after the water level in the river fell by about one metre, near the normal level. (Story continues below)
A woman inspects debris washed onto the road by floods after water receded in front of the Mae Sai border checkpoint in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai on Thursday. (Photo: Hug Mae Sai Facebook)
40 provinces on alert
The Office of National Water Resources reported on Thursday that over 40 provinces remained on alert for possible flash floods as a new tropical depression is expected to strengthen through Sept 18.
Since Tuesday, at least nine people have died due to floods in the northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, according to the government.
The Meteorological Department said more torrential rain nationwide is expected from Friday to early next week.
Since Aug 16, floods and landslides have killed 33 people across Thailand and affected nearly 110,000 households, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
In Thailand, about 34,000 households, mostly in the northern region, have been affected by Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year. The storm has also wreaked havoc in neighbouring Vietnam, where it left at least 157 people dead and 139 more missing.