The Ping River’s water levels are gradually decreasing, yet the situation in Chiang Mai city remains dire as economic zones continue to suffer from flooding.
At Naowarat Bridge within the city, the water stood at 4.80 meters at 10am on Thursday, a slight decrease from the 4.93m recorded at 2am. This surpassed the previous high of 4.90m set 13 years earlier.
City officials have issued a warning that the flooding crisis persists, adding, “The Ping is red-flagged and is in crisis.”
In downtown Chiang Mai, the river’s overflow has caused significant disruptions, including at the popular Night Bazaar, where water depths in some areas have reached up to one meter.
The Regional 1 Health Centre, formerly known as the Chiang Mai Mother and Child Hospital in Muang district, was forced to close on Thursday due to the flooding.
Lanna 3 Hospital has suspended all non-emergency patient admissions until Monday because floodwaters have infiltrated the first floor, affecting the emergency wards.
The Lanna Hospital Building 3, serving as a patient ward, experienced flooding overnight and was still submerged on Thursday morning.
Kuakul Manasamphansakul, the provincial irrigation chief, noted that the floodwaters were advancing towards the Chiang Mai railway station and the Super Highway, Highway 11, which connects the city to Lampang.
He assured that residents on the opposite side of the road would remain unaffected by the floodwaters.
Since Wednesday, local authorities have been urging people near the railway station to move their possessions and vehicles to safer areas.
Officials are vigilantly overseeing the release of a substantial volume of water from the Mae Ngad Somboon Chon dam in Mae Taeng district, anticipating its arrival in the city in 20 hours.
Mr. Kuakul announced that efforts are underway to control the downstream flow of water from the dam to the city, advising residents in Lamphun to brace for possible flooding in the coming days.
He reassured that while the water level of the Ping River would rise, it would not surpass the record high of 4.93m.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has directed swift actions to remove floodwaters from the affected economic sectors in Chiang Mai. She is scheduled to visit the flood-stricken areas of Chiang Rai and possibly Chiang Mai by Friday.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has confirmed that train operations between Chiang Mai and Lampang remain suspended due to the floods. All trains are currently stationed at Lampang, and passengers traveling to and from Chiang Mai are being transported by bus.
