Chiang Rai News
Heavy Rains Cause Mai Sai River to Burst its Banks Flooding Border Market
Torrential rains persisting over Chiang Rai and Myanmar for the past week have caused the Mae Sai River to overflow into Sai Lom Joy Market
CHIANG RAI – Overnight heavy rain have caused the Mae Sai river to overflow in the border area between Mae Sai district and Tachileik in Myanmar.
In the border market of Sailomjoy, more than 200 shops were flooded with some spots under more than one metre of water on Friday morning. Vendors scrambled to take their goods to higher ground, but many were unable to remove them in time.
Despite flood levels stabilizing in Chiang Rai’s Sai River, shop houses and communities along the Thai-Myanmar border continue to be submerged and traffic cut off.
Governor Narongsak Osot-thanakorn has ordered all relevant units to closely monitor the situation 24 hours a day and has organized patrols of the affected area. He has also asked the local irrigation department office to inspect the integrity of dykes and sluice gates.
Flooding also hit at least three neighborhoods in Mae Sai subdistrict, affecting 200 homes. In the Myanmar town of Tachileik, the central market and nearby communities have been almost entirely engulfed by floodwaters.
Governor Narongsak has given directives to relevant bodies to work closely with the security sector to help flood-hit residents.
Soldiers and Mae Sai municipality staff assisted rescue workers, using flat-bottom boats to help residents in the flooded areas. The municipality urged riverside residents to move their belonging to higher ground as the river continued to rise.
Flooding was also reported at the popular Thalor tourist market in Tachileik, with water 30-50cm deep in places.
By Vipaporn Pooritanasarn and Itiporn Lakarnchua
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