Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai Market Cleans up after Severe Flooding

MAE SAI – After a river overflow left both sides of the Mae Sai-Tachileik border submerged under water, cleanup has begun in some areas with hopes that the border market will be able to get back to business in a couple of days.In the wake of the swelling of the Mae Sai River, which separates Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province and Tachileik district of Myanmar, locals have reported some recession in the water level. The one-meter-deep floodwater which previously inundated shops and residences in Sailom Joy Market has completely dried up, leaving only debris and mud in the area.

Local residents and business operators are diligently cleaning up their premises in order to restore normalcy as soon as possible. If there is no more rain or runoff from other areas during this period, the border market could reopen to customers within the next 2-3 days.

Nonetheless, many people are still anxious about the cloudy weather in the area and are closely keeping an eye on the water situation. Despite improvements, about 500 homes in some communities remain affected by floods of up to 40 centimeters.