MAE HONG SON — Operators of boat trips to a village housing long-necked Karen women have temporarily suspended service because of flood-related safety concerns.
Ampon Unjai, who supervises the Mae Hong Son Boat Cooperative, said on Saturday that trips were cancelled until further notice because rapid currents in the Pai River which could pose a danger to tourists.
The water level in the river rose sharply on Friday after flash floods in mountainous areas upstream in the northern province.
The cooperative runs the boat service from Mae Hong Son town to Huay Pu Keng, a village famous for the long-necked Karen of the Paduang hilltribe, and to Ban Nam Pieng Din near the border with Myanmar.
Heavy rains pounded the province on Friday night and flash floods damaged farmland in Pai, Pang Mapha and Muang districts.
The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said on Saturday that the rains had stopped and conditions should return to normal by Sunday.
The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain until Sunday in most areas in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Tak, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Khampaeng Phet and Phichit.