Heavy rains drench North's rice fields

Heavy rains drench North's rice fields

More than 1,000 rai of rice fields are flooded after a canal, connected to the Mekong River that burst its banks following heavy downpours, overflowed in That Phanom district of Nakhon Phanom. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)
More than 1,000 rai of rice fields are flooded after a canal, connected to the Mekong River that burst its banks following heavy downpours, overflowed in That Phanom district of Nakhon Phanom. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)

Heavy rains on Wednesday continued to hit Mae Hong Son's Sop Moei district in northern Thailand, sweeping a bridge connecting a village with the district and flooding houses and paddy fields.

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has warned there will be heavy rain on Thursday in all regions.

Si Wa Doe village in tambon Mae Sam Lap in Sop Moei district of Mae Hong Son has been hit by rainstorms for over a week, causing flash floods that have destroyed the village's bridge and houses, isolating it from the main road to other areas.

Also, villages in tambon Mae Suat in the same district have been hit badly by the storms. Big trees were brought down and scattered on the roads, shutting down traffic.

Sop Moei mayor Akarapan Poonsiri said on Wednesday he had ordered officers from the Volunteer Defence Corps and local administrations to empty the roads and restore traffic.

He also said a big rock had slid down from a hill and fallen on a road blocking Highway 105 in tambon Mae Khatuan of the district. Drivers should be wary of potential rockslides or landslides along the route.

Chaiporn Sakunlikhitpat, a worker at the USO Net centre at Si Wa Doe village in Sop Moei district, said the internet in the area had been cut off by flash floods and storms.

Worse, paddy fields had been ruined by heavy rains. Mr Chaiporn said the village also lost electricity supplies.

The TMD on Wednesday showed satellite images revealing that a moderate monsoon still lies across the North, North East and East of Thailand and will be there for a few days, potentially causing flash floods.

Typhoon "Khanun" over the Pacific Ocean is expected to move near southern Okinawa province, Japan, the upper part of Taiwan and China until Thursday, according to the TMD.

Provinces along the Mekong River will face heavy rains and increasing water levels, which have already inundated locals' rice fields.

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