Stories tagged with sai
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Seasonal flooding hits northern Thailand
The rainy season is in full swing in northern Thailand, bringing heavy sustained storms that have caused serious flooding in many parts of the country. Worst hit have been the provinces around Lampang, Nan, Chiang Rai and Mae Sai.
The first town to be hard hit by intense storms was Nan, where two people drowned in flash floods and several more were reported missing in the Tha Wang Pha district. The city of Lampang, 100kms south of Chiang Mai, is the most recent site of storm destruction as some 120 homes were damaged by flash floods. Lampang’s Wang Nua and Muang Pan districts were declared disaster areas by local authorities.
Another northern Thai region popular with tourists that has been getting heavy rain over the past days include the entire Chiang Rai province. The head of the district hydrology centre, Manob Tailor, reported that rising waters in the Mekong River pose a very potential threat to another round of flooding in areas near Chiang Saen.
In good news, the horrific flooding last week that submerged much of the market and business district in Mae Sai along the Thai-Burmese border has finally submerged. Mae Sai is a popular border crossing for foreigners looking to renew their tourist visas, and it’s now back to business as usual.
Posted by: Andrew on 11 Sep 2008, 08:58 -
Flash floods hit northern Thai border
In the latest effect of steady heavy rains that have lingered over southern China, northern Vietnam, Laos and northern Thailand, flash floods caused the Moei River on the border between Thailand and Burma to burst it banks. The Burmese border town of Tachilek, a popular crossing spot for foreigners making a Thai visa run, was particularly hard hit and suffered major flooding.
On the Thai side of the border, the Moei River created plenty of problems for residents of Mae Sai and other Thai towns lying the river. The three northern Thai villages of Mai Lungkhon, Koh Sai and Sailom Joy were inundated by the waters, which rose to 1.3 metres and submerged the markets and many shops.
In Burma’s Tachilek town, the low-lying market area was flooded under more than 1 metre of muddy dirty water. Damage to vendors is estimated at over 20 million baht. Bottled water has been distributed to residents on both sides of this busy border in northern Thailand. Foreign visitors to Thailand who plan to make a visa run to Mae Sai should check on the current status before travelling, as immigration offices may have been affected by the flooding.
Posted by: Andrew on 25 Aug 2008, 19:58