Northern Thailand hit by floods

4 Jul 2011

Five of Northern Thailand’s provinces were hit by floodwaters last week following several days of heavy rain. The five provinces ring Chiang Mai and are Tak, Sukhothai, Chiang Rai, Nan and Phayao.

Up to 110,000 people were affected by the flooding, but there was only one confirmed death which occurred when an elderly man was swept away by fast flowing waters beside a canal. The Thai army and the Ministry of Commerce prepared emergency supplies for residents who were stranded in their homes or villages.

Senior army officials said that 400 tons of rice, cooking oil and other essentials would be trucked in to the victims.

One of the worst hit areas was in central Nan where floodwaters rose so quickly that householders were unable to save their possessions and could only watch helplessly as they were washed away. In one village in Nan the floods rose to three metres and provincial and Red Cross officers had to ferry in rations and drinking water by boat.

In other northern provinces, officials warned of the dangers of flash floods and mudslides. Some people had to be evacuated in Tak’s district of Tha Song Yang when a rain-soaked hillside seemed in danger of collapsing. On the River Moei at the Thai-Myanmese border, on the edge of the province, rising waters forced market traders to head for higher ground.

Thai authorities say that floodwaters have damaged 9,000 hectares of crop and paddy fields as well as roads and other infrastructure across the northern region.

Tags: Northern Thailand floods