Authorities are making all-out efforts to expedite water drainage in the northeastern provinces of Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom and Bung Kan to help reduce the damage from flooding, says Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
He said that if the water can be drained efficiently into the Mekong River, the impact from flooding in the northeastern provinces along the river is likely to be far less severe than the damage seen in the north.
Mr Anutin, who is in charge of prevention and mitigation of natural disasters, said the devastation from the flooding in northern areas was in part caused by forest runoff and mudslides.
He added that water drainage in the northeast is expected to be more efficient and so reduce damage.
Due to water flowing from the north and the release of water from upstream dams, several riverside communities in many northeastern provinces were hit by flooding.
In Nong Khai, the water level rose to 13.8 metres Sunday morning, marking the highest water level in 16 years.
The municipal office on Prachak Silpakhom Road was inundated on Sunday while strong waves on Saturday night caused several breaches of the flood barrier at Phra That Lanong.
Sri Chiang Mai Hospital in Nong Khai on Sunday announced that due to the flooding it would accept only emergency cases. Bus services between Nong Khai and Laos' Vientiane are suspended.
According to local authorities, a total of 44 shelters were open for flood victims.
In Nakhon Phanom, vendors at the underground level of the tourist site Phaya Si Sattanakharat, located in the riverfront area in Muang district, have been told to evacuate as the water level in Mekong River in the province is expected to rise on Monday.
The water level was measured at 11.5m on Sunday, about 50cm shy of the warning level. The municipal area remained safe from flooding, but heavy rain could cause flooding if the water could not be drained efficiently into the Mekong River.
However, in Bung Kan, the water level stabilised at 13.4m on Sunday morning and the situation was expected to return to normal soon if there was no additional rain.
In Loei's Pak Chom district, the water level also stabilised and was likely to decrease if no water was released from a dam in Laos.
Meanwhile, flooding in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district was easing but it left many areas devastated.
The clean-up operation was made difficult by thick mud from the flooding.
Some of the victims returned home only to find that the mud from the flooding almost reached the ceiling of their houses. Their belongings were smeared with or buried under mud.
According to local authorities, flooding and mudslides in Chiang Rai from Sept 9 to Saturday left 10 people dead and two injured and affected 153 villages and 52 communities in nine districts.