Over 500 houses flooded, farmland destroyed in Chiang Rai

CHIANG RAI: -- More than 500 houses in three villages in Thailand's northernmost province of Chiang Rai are now inundated with seasonal floodwaters while over 3,000 rai of crops have been destroyed, officials said Tuesday.

The authorities have reported that houses in Chiang Saen district are now under water over two metres depth after the Mekong River overflowed its banks, and there is no sign that it would recede.

A section of the road linking Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong districts is also under water for over one kilometre, impassable for all vehicles, forcing motorists to detour to another road.

Relief workers have been sent to help flood victims as the water level in the river keeps on rising.

Villagers living near the Mekong and two other rivers in the province are urged to prepare their personal effects and to ready themselves for immediate evacuation to higher ground.

-- TNA 2008-08-12

It's rained here virtually every day for months. You get a bit of a dry spell then down it comes again.

If it's relevant I've just come back from Vientiane and the river is as high down there as I've ever seen it.

It's rained here virtually every day for months. You get a bit of a dry spell then down it comes again.

If it's relevant I've just come back from Vientiane and the river is as high down there as I've ever seen it.

In Chiang Rai City I've seen and heard of no floods, there's been an unusual amount of rain and the ground is very water- logged. Seems it's the Maekhong basin affected, as I gather Chiang Khong is bad.

It's rained here virtually every day for months. You get a bit of a dry spell then down it comes again.

If it's relevant I've just come back from Vientiane and the river is as high down there as I've ever seen it.

In Chiang Rai City I've seen and heard of no floods, there's been an unusual amount of rain and the ground is very water- logged. Seems it's the Maekhong basin affected, as I gather Chiang Khong is bad.

The ground is certainly soggy, the next time one of my wife's idiot brothers drives his car across my lawn and gets bogged I wont be responsible for my actions.

Just got back online - based in chiang kham mae lao.

We got hit very hard over the last few days. Large land slide which knocked out about 40% or the village maize . Lost all of the village rice paddy.

No damage to the housing though. Very very scary.

No water at the moment. Local government have been superb. Surprisingly well co-ordinated. All the roads are now cleared and the village is returing to normal. There is talk of compensation for the lost corn. If there isn't any a lot of people here will have lost al lot of their income.

Heading back to the UK for a while, have to leave the wife and kids. Not looking forward to that.

Will try and post some photos but the intenet connection is a bit flaky at the mo.

I lived in Chiang Khong for a while, does someone know about the situation there, or for example Chiang Sean, or Mae Sai.

Check out the GT Rider photos of the Mekong flooding here.

Wow, that's amazing.

Check out the GT Rider photos of the Mekong flooding here.

David, I know Bamboo Riverside (Chiang Khong) is closed anyway, but I'm just curious, do you or your mates happen to know how high the water rose at that property? Or at Reuan Sophaiphan?

Been in Chiang Saen for almost a month now. No water problems in the town at all. The river did get high but the town remained clear.

Check out the GT Rider photos of the Mekong flooding here.

David, I know Bamboo Riverside (Chiang Khong) is closed anyway, but I'm just curious, do you or your mates happen to know how high the water rose at that property? Or at Reuan Sophaiphan?

I didn't actually make it to Chiang Khong in the end, but I understand from Tam Mi La Ghouse that the water was over the riverside walkway / boulevard.