CHIANG RAI, Thailand – Soldiers braved floodwaters to rescue six people stranded on a rooftop in Thoeng District, Chiang Rai, as the Mekong River swelled to its highest levels in years, leading to unprecedented flooding across the region.
Weeks of continuous rain caused the Ing River, which flows through Thoeng and Chiang Khong districts, to rise sharply, resulting in widespread flooding. In particular, the water inundated Wiang Sub-district in Thoeng District, where floodwaters rushed into the market, homes, and shops along the Chiang Rai-Chiang Kham road, a situation locals have never witnessed before.
The rising water levels in the Mekong River near the Golden Triangle have slowed the flow of the Ing River, causing it to overflow its banks and flood the area. The Chiang Rai Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM) reported that between August 16 and 22, flooding affected 10 districts, 30 sub-districts, and 221 villages, impacting 5,579 households and damaging 12,828 rai of agricultural land, as well as 68 fish and shrimp ponds.
In Thoeng District alone, 25 villages in Wiang Sub-district were submerged, along with numerous others in Plong, San Sai Ngam, Tab Tao, Ngao, and Nong Raet sub-districts. Roads, including Highway 1155 between Thoeng and Phu Chi Fa and the route between Thoeng and Phaya Phipak, have been rendered impassable, and power outages have affected wide areas.
Emergency personnel, including soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force, air force personnel from Wing 416, and local rescue teams, have been working tirelessly to assist flood-stricken residents. Chiang Rai Deputy Governor Prasert Jitpreecheep and other local leaders have visited the hardest-hit areas, distributing essential supplies such as food, drinking water, and other necessities to the displaced.
In one of the most dramatic rescues, soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force responded to an emergency in Ban Pang Kha, Tab Tao Subdistrict, Thoeng District. Six residents had been stranded on the roof of their home, surrounded by rising floodwaters. Using ropes and manpower, the soldiers successfully evacuated all six individuals to safety. Other flood-hit areas along the Thai-Laos border in Chiang Rai, as well as parts of Phayao Province, have also seen rescue efforts underway.
Despite the ongoing challenges, relief efforts continue to provide aid to the affected areas as water levels remain high and the situation evolves. (TNA)
