Depression "Son-Tinh" continued wreaking havoc yesterday by targeting towns along the Thai-Myanmar border in Kanchanaburi, where heavy floods left people stranded on the upper floors of properties and roads were blocked by mudslides.
The latest casualty in the depression's path came as a surprise because the Meteorological Bureau had forecast it would strike the northern and northeastern regions but not so far northwest.
But its severe impact was felt yesterday by 300 householders in three villages of tambon Lai Wo, adjacent to Myanmar. Since Thursday night these villages, all located in dense forest land, have been pelted by downpours, causing causing water runoff and sending mudslides hurtling into the valleys below.
Somchai Wutthiphimonwitthaya, chief of the Lai Wo tambon administrative organisation, initially counted 100 victims but expected there could be more. A quick survey found the flood level in some area had climbed as high as 1 metre.
"Schools stopped teaching and villagers were forced to live on their second floors. Many lacked food and drink," Mr Somchai said, adding that Route 323, the only paved road leading to the villages, had been cut off.
Wichian Chinnawong, chief of the Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary, said officials were facing a new threat from flash floods after they, too, were forced to climb to higher ground.
Mr Wichian led officials to arrest construction magnate Premchai Karnasuta in February for illegal poaching at the sanctuary including the alleged killing of a rare black leopard.
Meanwhile, torrential rains have also increased the water level in the Song Kalia River near an ethnic Mon community, officials said.
Local villagers were worried the strong currents carrying pieces of wood and large tree branches would again bring down the Uttamanusorn Bridge, Thailand's longest wooden bridge, which collapsed in 2013 when its pillars were smashed by wood and debris.
Tambon Lai Wo, along with flooded tambon Nong Lu, have already already declared disaster areas, Kanchanaburi governor Chirakiat Phumsawat said.
The heavy flooding in Sangkhla Buri made Kanchanaburi the latest casualty caused by Son-Tinh.
A few days ago the authorities reported flash floods in seven provinces: Roi Et, Bung Kan, Yasothon, Nakhon Phanom, Loei, Phitsanulok and Nan.
Though Son-Tinh has since weakened its influence is now being felt as far as Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, another Myanmar border town.
This was the same district where the Wild Boars football team spent two weeks trapped in a flooded cave before being rescued.
Officials in many northeastern provinces rushed to drain water from flooded areas yesterday.
They also repaired an embankment and kept a close watch on major reservoirs.
Kalasin governor Kraison Kongchalat ordered officials to be ready to evacuate communities. Residents in Kalasin municipality were hit by huge sheets of water from the overflowing Don Klang reservoir.
Three districts in Bung Kan -- Muang, Seka and Sri Wilai -- were also heavily inundated. In addition to a flooded road linking two villages in Muang and Seka, about 5,000 rai of farmland were expected to be under water.