After continuous heavy rain for several days, flash floods from the Thai-Laos border mountain ranges overflowed into many areas in Thoeng District and Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai Province. The flooding is the worst in 30 years.

On August 21, 2024, the Disaster Response Association posted images on Facebook of flooding in houses, with water levels almost as high as the roofs of single-story houses.

Water from the the Ngao River overflowed the banks and flooded houses on both sides of Village 4, Ban Salawat, Thoeng District, Chiang Rai Province.

The river overflow caused heavy flooding in Pang Hat Village, Village No. 2, Don Village, Village No. 3, and Nong Tao Village, Por Subdistrict, Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai Province.

The water overflowed into the roads in the village and also flooded many houses very quickly, causing villagers to be unable to move their belongings to escape the flood. Many cars were flooded and the roads in the village were temporarily impassable. The force of the flash flood also damaged some houses.

In addition, the water flooded the road between Ban Pha Lae, Village No. 6, and Ban Sai Thong, Village No. 7, temporarily impassable.

The flash flood swept away the Thoeng-Wiang Kaen road, which is the way up to Phu Chi Fa, and caused a bridge to collapse, making it impassable for any vehicles to escape flooding.

Mr. Suphot Langkawiranan, the District Chief of Wiang Kaen, has ordered the security chief to coordinate with the kamnan, village headmen, and the Por Subdistrict Administrative Organization to send officials to survey the damage in order to find a way to help the people who are suffering.

Mr. Suphot said most of the water flowing down from Doi Pha Mon flows into the Ngao River before flowing into the Mekong River.
However, because the Mekong River also has a large volume of water, the drainage is extremely slow.