On October 5th, we learned from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports that Chiang Mai, one of the country’s top tourist destinations, is experiencing its worst flooding in half a century. This unprecedented situation has left over 500 tourists stranded and heavily impacted several major attractions.
Recent heavy rainfall has caused the Ping River to swell dramatically, with water levels overtopping sandbags and flooding numerous areas within the city. Local residents expressed disbelief at the severity of the flooding, noting that they have not seen anything like this in years.
According to the Ministry, many of the stranded tourists are currently at hotels along the banks of the Ping River. The rising waters have made roadways impassable, and communication systems have failed, leaving these visitors without a way to contact anyone outside. After receiving a situation report from the Chiang Mai Tourism Office, the Ministry quickly sprang into action, mobilizing resources to assist in evacuating the stranded tourists using boats.
The Ministry is also advising remaining visitors in the city to evacuate as soon as they can. For those requiring transportation to the airport, tour police are providing shuttle services in the affected areas.
As of now, the water level of the Ping River continues to rise, hitting 5.20 meters at the monitoring station near the New Light Bridge, which is well above the crisis threshold of 4.20 meters, highlighting the ongoing nature of this situation.
Additionally, the Ministry has stated that due to landslides, both lanes of Highway 107 are temporarily shut down, hindering vehicle access. They are urging the public to plan their travels carefully and to stay vigilant in these conditions.
