Three people died in flood-related incidents in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Yala on Friday as the southern border region was warned to brace for more rain, possible flash floods and forest runoff.
Of the three casualties, two were reported in Phrom Khiri district of Nakhon Si Thammarat, where three tourists were visiting the Wang Lung waterfall late Friday afternoon. They were caught off guard and swept away by forest runoff, triggered by heavy rain in the mountains.
Local officials said one person was rescued, while the bodies of the other two were found trapped in bushes.
In Betong district of Yala, Koder Luebaji, 66, was swept away on Friday evening when his house, located on a canal bank, collapsed during heavy rain. His body was later recovered. Six of his family members managed to escape and seek shelter with relatives.
Local officials reported that two houses by a canal were swept away during the downpour. Three people who had been trapped in trees were rescued.
Heavy rain also triggered landslides in several areas of Betong and Than To districts of Yala on Friday night, uprooting electricity poles and blocking roads.
Rescue and assistance operations were continuing in the province, as water levels started returning to normal by late Saturday morning.
Major damage included the severing of a bridge at the Tambon Dok Chang municipality intersection, prompting road closures and traffic diversions.
The Meteorological Department says heavy rain will continue in the southern region, especially in provinces along the Gulf of Thailand. Residents are being urged to prepare for possible flash floods and high waves.
Chiang Mai cleans up
In the northern region, a large-scale clean-up was continuing in Chiang Mai city, with nine roads closed to clear garbage. Water pumps were deployed to drain water from low-lying areas.
In Lamphun, the navy was asked to provide boats to help push water out of flooded areas, and it is expected that the floodwater will be drained by mid-month.
In Chai Nat province, water releases from the Chao Phraya Dam have been reduced to 2,000 cubic metres per second to mitigate the impact of flooding in downstream provinces. The alert level for the dam is 2,730 cubic metres per second.
As of Saturday, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said flooding had affected 49,724 households in 56 districts across 13 provinces.
Meanwhile, the temperature dropped to 9C at the top of Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai on Saturday morning, and even cooler weather is expected in the coming days.
Kriangkrai Chaipiset, chief of Doi Inthanon National Park, said the park is preparing for the upcoming tourist season, with new sites set to be introduced this year.
He added that the number of visitors at some spots would be limited to prevent overcrowding and to minimise environmental impact.