CHIANG RAI, 18 September 2014 – Heavy rains caused the Mae Sai River to swell overnight, flooding important trade areas in Mae Sai district on the Thai side and Tachileik district in Myanmar.
As a consequence of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which was wreaking havoc in nearby southern China, heavy downpours hampered the uppermost region of Thailand from yesterday evening through last night. The level of the Mae Sai River running past the Mae Sai-Tachileik border in Chiang Rai province was reported to be increasing rapidly until the river finally burst its banks at around 3 am.
The water gushed into communities and famous markets on both sides of the river, with a depth of up to one meter. Locals, who were woken up in the middle of the night, had to struggle to move their belongings off the ground as quickly as possible to prevent damages.
The extensive devastation has forced a number of local businesses to close for today as rains continue to fall. Authorities are working hard to clear out debris which has gotten stuck on the river-crossing bridge while hoping the floodwater will begin to recede soon.
