PHITSANULOK - The old Yom River burst its banks and flooded thousands of rai of farmland in Muang district on Tuesday, turning it into a vast lake.
Mae Rahan village in tambon Ban Krang was the worst affected as over 4,500 rai of paddy fields were inundated after the old Yom River overflowed into low-lying areas. Young rice plants were drowned under a metre-deep floodwater.
Anuchit Mola, chief of tambon Ban Krang, said after inspecting flood-hit fields at Mae Rahan village that a road linking the village and other nearby communities was impassable to all vehicles. Residents were using boats for transportation.
He said farmers began planting their second crop in June and July, expecting there their community would not be flooded like it was last year.
However, it rained heavily, causing the old Yom River to overflow. Almost half of about 10,000 rai of paddy fields at Mae Rahan were flooded out.
Irrigation officials on Tuesday installed large water pumps to drain the fields into a canal.