Flash floods and runoff swept through several provinces in the North and the Northeast on Friday night and Saturday, affecting many households and claiming one life in Lampang.
In Lampang, heavy overnight rain pounded Thoen district, triggering forest runoff and flooding several villages in tambon Mae Pa, tambon Mae Wa and tambon Lom Raed. More than 400 households were inundated.
Mae Padoi village in tambon Mae Pa was the worst-hit area as mountain runoff from Wiang Kosai national park caused Huay Mae Pa creek to overflow. The flooding left more than 60 residential properties under more than one metre of water. Children and elderly people were unable to leave the flooded houses.
Soldiers and officials from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office in Thoen district were dispatched to help flood victims and survey the damage.
Lampang governor Songphon Sawattham, joined by senior officials and police, inspected a creek at Ban Sansai village in tambon Mae Pa where a local man had been swept away by the strong current.
Boonloei Yodkantha, 62, was trying to place a fish trap in the creek when he fell in and was swept downstream in full view of his wife, who immediately sought help from neighbours. Local rescue volunteers rushed to the scene and later found his body trapped in tree branches near a water pipe.
A rescue team retrieves the body of a man swept away by strong currents in a creek in Thoen district of Lampang. (Photo by Assawin Wongnorkaew)
In Phetchabun, more than 100 houses in two riverside communities in Muang district were inundated after the Pasak River burst its banks, sending a huge amount of water across the area.
Seksan Niyompeng, the mayor of Muang municipality, said flooding was expected to last several days as huge volumes of water from several directions kept flowing into the Pasak River.
The municipality was recently allocated a budget to build a 300-metre concrete floodwall along the river, and construction would begun as soon as the floods recede, he added.
In Tak, governor Charoenrit Sa-nguansat told officials to remain vigilant until Monday. He warned residents living along the Wang River in tambon Mae Salid and tambon Tak-ork in Ban Tak district to brace themselves for overflows as the river had risen sharply from days of heavy rain.
In Chaiyaphum, heavy downpours caused the Lampatao dam to overflow, sending large volumes of water into two creeks that burst their banks and flooded three communities in Muang district on Saturday.
It was the second round of flooding to strike Muang district. Three communities -- Non Samer, Kud Khaen and Nong Bo -- were under between 40 and 100 centimetres of water.
Chaiyaphum governor Narong Wunsiew visited residents of the flood-hit communities on Saturday. Flat-bottomed boats were on standby and water pumps were deployed to drain out water into the Chi River around the clock.
Mr Narong said the affected areas would be dry in two or three days if there was no more rain. He urged local residents to keep abreast of weather information from authorities during this period.
Officials and residents in Ban Tak district of Tak province are keeping a close watch on the rising Wang River. (Photo by Assawin Pinitwong)
Chaiyaphum governor Narong Wunsiew visits residents of a flood-hit community in the province on Saturday. (Photo by Makkawan Wannakul)