Some parts of Chiang Mai have already been flooded since early Wednesday, the interior ministry said. (Chiang Mai public relations office pic)
BANGKOK: Thailand warned of more floods in one of the nation’s popular tourist destinations as heavy rains continue, rivers overflow and dams reach peak capacity.
More areas in Chiang Mai province, including Thailand’s biggest city in the north, will be flooded as the water level in the Ping River is seen to rise further through Friday, the office of national water resources said in statement on Thursday.
Some parts of the city centre have already been flooded since early Wednesday, the interior ministry said.
Torrential rains have continued to wreak havoc in the northern provinces, which are still recovering from Typhoon Yagi’s destruction. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has set up a flood monitoring centre and approved a special budget for affected households.
In Chiang Rai province, homes and public areas in the city centre have been covered with mud after floods subsided. Flash floods and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi killed 14 people and shut the airport.
The irrigation department on Thursday warned several dams along Chao Phrapya river will be releasing water, which could further worsen the situation.
The water release will also affect some central provinces including Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, a major manufacturing centre, it said.
In 2011, the province, where Honda and Canon have plants, suffered what is considered the country’s worst flood in a generation that left hundreds death and affected millions.
Water supply in Mae Nghat Dam, Chiang Mai’s biggest reservoir, reached 112% of its storage capacity on Friday.
Queen Sirikit dam in Uttaradit province, the nation’s second-biggest reservoir, is now at 90% capacity, the highest since 2017, according to data from irrigation department’s website.
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