Troops help to clear Mae Sai district of mud after recent floods

The army is helping residents of Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai province to clear debris and mud from their houses and roads after floodwaters receded.

It was the second flooding in a month for the district, but the hardships are not over yet. The Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has warned of possible river overflows and flash floods, due to the looming monsoon and continuous rainfall.

Troops from the 37th army circle and medical personnel from the Meng Rai Hospital are also providing medical services to residents of Ko Sai and Mai Loong Khun, which were heavily impacted by the recent flooding.

The clean-up effort in the downtown area will take several more days to complete, according an army officer.

Chiang Rai Governor Charin Thongsuk has reportedly instructed district chief officers in 18 districts, Mae Sai in particular, to monitor the water situation in the Sai River around the clock, because the river is shallow due to the accumulation of sediment on the river bed.

A provincial official said that Myanmar is yet to dredge the river, to deepen and widen the waterway before the arrival of the rainy season.

The Mae Sai border town was hit by its worst flooding on record in September last year.

Meanwhile, in Lampang province, the governor has ordered all 13 districts to brace for heavy rain, which may result in sudden flooding. Heavy rainfall in Doi Khun Tarn National Park has resulted in runoffs cascading into streams and then into the Wang River, which may overflow into some low-lying areas.