Ping River Levels

[terry57]

floods last ,floods this year and it will be floods again next year.

time for you people up there to invest in a boat each , not too big mind you, just about the same size as noah's.

just big enough to fit the night zoo animals in so you got something to eat when you cant get to the shops.

nice to see you folk up north can still have a bit of a giggle over this but you ain't got too much of an option have you ?

hope you lot got plenty of coldy's in the fridge as its a great time for a little party, thats if you dont drown getting to your mates place.

[PeaceBlondie]

I'm kinda new to Chiang Mai so I am not good with directions here yet.

I was over by the Sheraton this evening and crossed the bridge there. I went right after that and immedicatly hit a flooded street (with a current).

Kids, don't try this at home. I was stupid for doing it but I drove through it all the way to the downtown area. I was very lucky not to have stalled my little Honda in the middle of that mess.

If you do find yourself up to your shins in water my advise is, keep your bike in first gear, stay in the center of the road, and don't stop. Not driving too fast will help you control the bike when the water gets a little higher than your shins. If you go too slow I am not sure what would happen. I suspect the water might go inside your muffler and stall out your bike.

Richard, I don't recall that my course in defensive motorcycle riding covered how to navigate flooded streets, but you covered it well. The obvious advice is, to check the water level, watch other vehicles going through first, let them make the big mistakes, and then GO ANOTHER WAY. It's even more true with new sedans/saloons, which have critical electronic components low enough to get wet and self-destroy. Then you're looking at 80,000 baht of repairs and months waiting for parts, etc.

NEVER cross a stream of fast flowing water. Its force will send you straight to your next life.

[ChiangMaiMike]

Gosh Terry, you really have a great wit and I'm delighted that you find the situation here amusing...

Have another beer and congratulate yourself for being so incredibly clever as to not live near a river that floods...

And if you could find another forum that needs your sage advice that would be a real bonus for us.

[Maejo Man]

Just started to rain again here out on the Super

[MyPenRye]

Very sad news!

Sadly, I don't think this is an isolated event (geographically and temporally). It is another example showing that global warming is happening.

I recently went to see a documentary about Al Gore, the former vice-president of the USA, mission to expose the real danger of global warming. I was a skeptic before. Incontrovertible proof(s) by way of examples, data, graphics, logic, trends, counter-proof,... indicate(s) that global warming is indeed happening. It also explains why and proves that oil, car,... multinationals fund bogus organizations to create bogus reports to keep the general public guessing. It explains also that the idea of global warming does not mean just "warming", it means more extreme climatic patterns. So, blaming human construction around CM for flooding is really unfair. The authorities and the people should understand that they need to find ways to better deal with increade rain levels this year and in the years to come instead of blaming constructions that (while not helping) are only a rain drop in the bucket (pardon the pun).

An Inconvenient Truth

******************

Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced.

If that sounds like a recipe for serious gloom and doom -- think again. From director Davis Guggenheim comes the Sundance Film Festival hit, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, which offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man's fervent crusade to halt global warming's deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change. In this eye-opening and poignant portrait of Gore and his "traveling global warming show," Gore also proves himself to be one of the most misunderstood characters in modern American public life. Here he is seen as never before in the media - funny, engaging, open and downright on fire about getting the surprisingly stirring truth about what he calls our "planetary emergency" out to ordinary citizens before it's too late.

With 2005, the worst storm season ever experienced in America just behind us, it seems we may be reaching a tipping point - and Gore pulls no punches in explaining the dire situation. Interspersed with the bracing facts and future predictions is the story of Gore's personal journey: from an idealistic college student who first saw a massive environmental crisis looming; to a young Senator facing a harrowing family tragedy that altered his perspective, to the man who almost became President but instead returned to the most important cause of his life - convinced that there is still time to make a difference.

With wit, smarts and hope, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ultimately brings home Gore's persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue - rather, it is the biggest moral challenges facing our global civilization.

Paramount Classics and Participant Productions present a film directed by Davis Guggenheim,

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. Featuring Al Gore, the film is produced by Laurie David, Lawrence Bender and Scott Z. Burns. Jeff Skoll and Davis Guggenheim are the executive producers and the co-producer is Leslie Chilcott.

http://climatecrisis.org/

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/...ce/Skeptics.asp

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1978

[meadish_sweetball]

Just started to rain again here out on the Super

Yep, it's pouring down near Sanpakhoi market too... brace yourselves, it doesnt look too good.

[travelguy]

Some more video here from around the river ( Chiangmai, river Ping) around noon today.

http://revver.com/video/42916/747

Ran out of time for the good stuff. Will post it in the morning. Rains are back in Chiangmai this evening at 11:30. If they are heavy in the north, the river will be rising over night and the morning may be ugly for many near the night bazzare. Hopefully, that's not the case.

[nokia]

floods last ,floods this year and it will be floods again next year.

time for you people up there to invest in a boat each , not too big mind you, just about the same size as noah's.

just big enough to fit the night zoo animals in so you got something to eat when you cant get to the shops.

Global warming & buying a boat sounds reasonable. Who's got a boat here, and what's the price for a decent fibreglass boat? Cheers!

[george]

Unprecedented floods devastate Chiang Mai

Roads, rail lines cut, leaving tourism in tatters and many businesses in despair for the second year in a row

CHIANG MAI: -- Chiang Mai is reeling under unprecedented flooding with businesses suffering huge losses, the tourism industry in tatters, schools being closed and train services being suspended.

Since floods hit the northern capital early on Monday, hotels and tour companies have received massive cancellations from tourists concerned about their safety and disruptions to their tour programmes.

Kunchit Changsuwan, chairman of the tourism business federation, said riverside hotels had been badly hurt while many shops were now closed for fear of a repeat of last year's devastating flooding.

He said tourists could only get to Chiang Mai by plane and certain buses as some roads and the train service have been cut.

Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantipat said the floodwaters should drop by tomorrow as a result of drainage efforts by the local authorities. He said flood water had not inundated financial districts in urban areas like Chang Khlan Road and the Nite Bazaar shopping complex.

The affected areas are mostly residential located in outer districts.

The governor said drainage efforts needed to be stepped up as weather authorities had reported Storm Phra Phirun was expected to reach Thailand by Friday.

Last night, the State Railway Authority had cancelled all trains between Chiang Mai and Bangkok because flooding had damaged a portion of track in Lampang. A senior railway official said it would take about three days before services resume.

Sangworn Santisuk, president of the Thai Hotels Association's northern region, said of the 10,000 hotel rooms in the city, about 400 are near the river.

"Right now we are enjoying an occupancy rate of 50 per cent, but that could drop. We will have to closely monitor the situation," he said.

On Monday, tourists were stranded at their hotels in Chiang Mai township because of the inundation.

Rising floodwaters forced many schools in Chiang Mai to close yesterday and students in several dormitories were advised to return home.

Nittaya Bodhirak, the dormitory guardian at Sacred Heart School, said: "We are concerned about the children's well-being if the flooding gets worse. So, we have contacted parents to pick up their children."

She advised students to follow radio news reports to keep updated on when classes would resume.

Sacred Heart, on Charoen-prathet Road, was flooded along with Chairot Witthaya and Regina Coeli schools, plus Montfort College. All suspended classes for at least a day.

At the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, business operators filled sandbags as a barrier to block the floods.

Last year, big floods ravaged the city's commercial and tourist zone, causing damage worth hundreds of millions of baht.

Yesterday's floods came after the Ping River overflowed due to heavy downpours and run-off water from upstream. Despite last year's devastating floods and a government promise to prevent future inundations, Chiang Mai residents have been again left to fight floods with just sandbags and pumps.

Even residents living a fair distance from the Ping River suffered, as many roads such as Huay Kaew, Khuang Singh intersection and several small lanes were under water due to poor drainage.

The flooding also threatened many historical sites.

Sahawat Naennha, who heads a local fine-arts office, voiced concern over the ancient city of Wiang Kum Kam, which lies in a flat area that could easily flood. "We have pumps ready but if there is too much water, this measure will not be enough," he said.

Sahawat was also concerned about the Phra That Chao Kulamak in the 1,300-year-old Rommanee-yaram Temple in Chiang Mai city.

"There are cracks in it and we are worried that heavy rain could damage it," Sahawat said. He said his office was in the process of requesting funds to renovate and reinforce this religious site.

Meanwhile, in Mae Rim district, more than 1,800 houses were flooded and officials were handing out relief items to victims.

Officials at the Hydrology and Water Management Centre for the Upper Northern Region said the situation in Chiang Mai could return to normal if there were no more downpours.

The northern weather bureau expects only scattered rain in Chiang Mai over the next two days. However, it warned that cloudbursts would spread over the upper North on Friday and Saturday.

Residents living by the Ping and other rivers in Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Phetchabun were warned to watch out for possible overflows this weekend.

In a related development, Mae Hong Son governor Direk Konkleeb urgently instructed all district chiefs in the province to prepare for possible flash floods and landslides. "We have evacuation plan ready," he said.

In Lampang, the body of a flood victim was discovered yesterday. The woman, aged 50, disappeared when floods raged through her home early on Monday.

In Uttaradit, more than 50 families in Tambon Nang Phraya were evacuated on Monday night after a landslide and floods damaged local farms.

--The Nation 2006-08-02

[ThaiPauly]

[

Officials at the Hydrology and Water Management Centre for the Upper Northern Region said the situation in Chiang Mai could return to normal if there were no more downpours.

.

--The Nation 2006-08-02

I am posting this at 4.30am and it has been pissing down hard all night so I thank this particular statement has gone down the Swaney River.

awaiting updates from Members who are in affected areas, I am fortunate we never problems in my end of town, but I really feel sorry for those who have been up all night "Bailing Out"

[ChiangMaiMike]

No updates on Thai Hydro site since 9 p.m. Tues.

Wednesday at 7 a.m. Ping River at Superhighway appeared to be about the same or up slightly from yesterdays high... had about 1.5" of rain here (1km north of Super highway) overnight.

So far things 'o.k.' up here...

[jomama]

7 a.m. Wednesday:

Rained hard and steady all night...might have been enough to bring on heavy flooding.

We tried to go to Rimping supermarket on the river last night; the road from Nong Hoi market was closed from about the Gymkhana up to Nararawat Bridge due to flooding. With the additional downpour last night, the Ping could well leave its banks in a big way.

[travelguy]

Just returned from the river (Ping) around the Rimping store area, south of the Nawarat Bridge. The river is down about 75 cm from yesterday afternoon.

Good news for everybody.

[Happy Jack]

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

In 2004 I arrived home (Chiang Mai) from a short trip to Europe and had to wade (through up to half a metre of surface water) from the airport to Airport Plaza. Then to get to my destination in Loi Kroh Road I had to take a circuitous route via tuk tuk, with various detours due to extensive flooding throughout the city. The last half kilometre was also impassable for the tuk tuk so had to wade again. (Advice for traveller in Asia: Forgo the humble suitcase and always use a hiker's pack.)

In 2005 The entire night bizarre, the markets, and all of the low lying areas alongside the Ping were flooded - with some of the poorest areas hardest hit. The tide line on some people's homes in these areas was well over 1.5 metres high.

Now in 2006 we have floods again. In light of the last two years (and possibly other years preceding my knowledge) I would tend to avoid calling this 'unprecedented'. To many of the locals this is just a normal part of the rainy season. The number of boats that appeared as if out of nowhere during last year’s floods are testament to this.

Incidentally at the river end of Loi Kroh Road there are a couple of very old wooden houses on poles. Although these get isolated in the floods and the owners have to clean up their grounds afterwards their houses always remain dry. Maybe the people who built these houses years ago had a little bit more foresight than the people of today, who are all trying to emulate western design in the construction of their ground level homes.

[Donnyboy]

Just returned from the river (Ping) around the Rimping store area, south of the Nawarat Bridge. The river is down about 75 cm from yesterday afternoon.

Good news for everybody.

not sure if that will stay like that for too long thou, esp after another night of rain. Hope Im wrong thou.

Anyone know about Chiang Mai land?

[Gonzo the Face]

Just returned from the river (Ping) around the Rimping store area, south of the Nawarat Bridge. The river is down about 75 cm from yesterday afternoon.

Good news for everybody.

not sure if that will stay like that for too long thou, esp after another night of rain. Hope Im wrong thou.

Anyone know about Chiang Mai land?

Chiang Mai land should be emulating Atlantis by now.....

Not really.

Being a long time resident and having learned to take a lot of the government reports with more than one grain of salt, it makes me wonder. Last year shortly after the flood, there were backhoes, buckets of all size all over the river [read generally where the public could see work being done] digging out sand , hauling it away [someplace up river I guess]

What was the purpose of all this ??? Now we hear "Oh such big rain: Oh the Dams were breaking: Oh this, Oh that. But by any chance did anybody get considerably richer from all that work???/

Just a passing thought .

[Gonzo the Face]

Boy the flood affects everything doesn't it.....

I just tried to make another post a few minutes ago and a prompt told me I couldn't because Our good ole Thai Visa was doing something about "Flood Control" Makes you proud doan it???

Whats wrong?? is there not enought money left in the gov't coffers to keep the Hydro Site working especially in a flood. Wonder where that money went.????

[bggg]

Just returned from the river (Ping) around the Rimping store area, south of the Nawarat Bridge. The river is down about 75 cm from yesterday afternoon.

Good news for everybody.

not sure if that will stay like that for too long thou, esp after another night of rain. Hope Im wrong thou.

Anyone know about Chiang Mai land?

Chiang Mai land should be emulating Atlantis by now.....

Not really.

Being a long time resident and having learned to take a lot of the government reports with more than one grain of salt, it makes me wonder. Last year shortly after the flood, there were backhoes, buckets of all size all over the river [read generally where the public could see work being done] digging out sand , hauling it away [someplace up river I guess]

What was the purpose of all this ??? Now we hear "Oh such big rain: Oh the Dams were breaking: Oh this, Oh that. But by any chance did anybody get considerably richer from all that work???/

Just a passing thought .

Our Moo Baan has done work 2 years in a row on the storm sewers and drainage ditches. I have been silly enough to think it would help. NOT!! we still have the same fountain erupting out of the street in front of our house during heavy rains. we are not near the river so we don't get it too bad. It goes away fairly quickly once the rain stops, but i still wonder why they did the work, twice, and nothing has changed.

[Scott]

Many of us are thinking of you folks in CM and hoping for the best.

[ChiangMaiMike]

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

Incidentally at the river end of Loi Kroh Road there are a couple of very old wooden houses on poles. Although these get isolated in the floods and the owners have to clean up their grounds afterwards their houses always remain dry. Maybe the people who built these houses years ago had a little bit more foresight than the people of today, who are all trying to emulate western design in the construction of their ground level homes.

Jack... The Ping River flooding last year was the worst in 40-50 years (I think depending on where you were exactly)... but you are correct about the yearly flooding of the low lying areas in the city due to heavy rainfall. Chiang Mai is in a flood plain and I think historically the flooding of the Ping River has raised the surrounding area about one meter every 200 years. (Info from Chiang Mai News)

I think the problem is exacerbated by the number of houses constructed in the last few years because before building they raise the ground level of the building sites thus making more 'high ground' and decreasing the area that in many cases used to be rice fields that can absorb the rainfall.

To me this is reminiscent of the Mississippi River in America where they built levees to contain it, and people built in the former flood plains... this worked for many years as they kept increasing the height of the levees, but eventually 'Ol' Man River' prevailed and the levees failed and thousands of people found their houses underwater. I'm inclined to agree with you that building houses in a flood plain at ground level may not be a viable long term option and if I build here the living quarters of my house will be well elevated. Perhaps here where the Ping River is 'only' about 569 km. long a levee system and dams can control the river... It will take time and money but it probably could be done.

Will it happen? I don't know, but I think it is technologically feasible.

Meanwhile, poor people are suffering and mans battle against nature looks to be inadequate.

[Gonzo the Face]

?????

Just finished scanning the Internet versions of The Nation and the Bangkok Post.

Whats with all this fear mongering !!!!!

The Nation :

"Unprecedented Floods"

Unprecedented what ??? Last year we had, starting on the 14 of August, three floods of considerably higher water levels

"Tourism in Tatters"

There have been some hotel/guest house cancellations. The CM Night Market is not even flooded and is open !!

"Riverfront Hotels badly hurt"

Come on Now !!! The water level is at flood stage, but how much damage has been done to the structures ? Nothing like last year I am sure and certainly not the amount of cancellations

"Only Way in by plane or certain buses"

Now this one really gets me.... This makes us in Chiang Mai seemingly more devastated then Lebanon ! Cripes on a good day when we have a normal train derailment, the only way to get to CM is by plane or certain buses.

And the Bangkok Post comes in like a Champ this time....

They didn't even mention CM or anything about the flooding .....

Come on Guys factual reporting..... not scumbag journalism.

Gonzo

[nikster]

Whats with all this fear mongering !!!!!

Bad news sells! Woo-hoo more sales!

I agree that it's pretty ridiculous. Yesterday on TV was one flooded intersection of CM on screen for like half an hour, with a grave voice explaining how horrible it was. I had just passed that intersection in my 10 year old car, and yes, it was exciting, but it was really just a 10m stretch. TV made it seem much larger by showing it from all imaginable different angles...

[ChiangMaiMike]

Good News!

The Hydro Site is back up and has been updated.

River levels continuing to drop...

[terry57]

Gosh Terry, you really have a great wit and I'm delighted that you find the situation here amusing...

Have another beer and congratulate yourself for being so incredibly clever as to not live near a river that floods...

And if you could find another forum that needs your sage advice that would be a real bonus for us.

good god mike,

i do realise that the situation is serious up there as is any place that gets flooded out.

i do emphasise with you people up north but please take on board that some of your compatriots were trying to approach this situation with a tad of humour and i though someone might appreciate a little bit of added humour.

look if i really did offend you, i real sorry ok as that was not my intention at all.

please lighten up a bit and take an example from your fellow posters .

i hope you will make another post repremanding the previous posters for daring to attempt to make a horrid situation that much more bearable by adding some humour as us humans try to do when the chips are down.

btw. i never post whilst im drinking but i might think about it after coping this from your self.

cheers and i hope your situation improves very soon

[Happy Jack]

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

Jack... The Ping River flooding last year was the worst in 40-50 years (I think depending on where you were exactly)... but you are correct about the yearly flooding of the low lying areas in the city due to heavy rainfall. Chiang Mai is in a flood plain and I think historically the flooding of the Ping River has raised the surrounding area about one meter every 200 years. (Info from Chiang Mai News)

So in living memory there have been worse floods than the completely 'unprecedented' one which took out the night bizarre last year?

Whats with all this fear mongering !!!!!

Quite right Gonzo!

BUT: if there have been even bigger floods in the past one could assume this could happen again one day. Especially given the very real global warming issue outlined earlier in this thread.

Sounds like this year isn't the big one though - for which I am truly thankful. For me the previous year's floods have been high adventure (and much to my chagrin I get to sit this one out far away in New Zealand - where we are also experiencing the unpleasant effects of climate change) but the floods are devastating for the poorer areas (and people) of Chiang Mai. Seeing the damage done to so many homes last year was heartbreaking. I really hope this does not recur this year. The likelihood though is that sooner or later, whether this year or not, it WILL happen again.

It could be time for people to reassess the viability of living in low level houses. In this sense maybe the fear mongering could serve a purpose after all.

[lamphun]

It amazes me that the press uses such words as 'unprecedented', 'unexpected', etc about Chiang Mai's floods.

Jack... The Ping River flooding last year was the worst in 40-50 years (I think depending on where you were exactly)... but you are correct about the yearly flooding of the low lying areas in the city due to heavy rainfall. Chiang Mai is in a flood plain and I think historically the flooding of the Ping River has raised the surrounding area about one meter every 200 years. (Info from Chiang Mai News)

So in living memory there have been worse floods than the completely 'unprecedented' one which took out the night bizarre last year?

Not unless there's some very very old folks around. I've been here sence 1982 and the worst flood we had was I think in 1991 (or was it 92?). In that period there was a bad flood once every four or five years. Last year we had three in one year. This year ..... ?

I'd suggest that something has changed.

[Maejo Man]

Not unless there's some very very old folks around. I've been here sence 1982 and the worst flood we had was I think in 1991 (or was it 92?). In that period there was a bad flood once every four or five years. Last year we had three in one year. This year ..... ?

I'd suggest that something has changed.

That was '92 Lamphun when Santitum was under well over a metre of water, and we used boats to get around

Something has definately changed......Global warming, El Pancho/Nino/Sombrero whatever, and the Night Shaftari hasn't helped one little bit!

[stateman]

Several times in recent years I have told people of seeing water running UPHILL in front of Suan Dok hospital in the area of Wat Suan Dok, and on Huay Kaew Road just uphill of Kad Suan Kaew - no-one has ever believed me (except my wife who also witnessed it on one occassion.

Here the news reports are statements that seem to indicate standing floodwater all over the footslope areas of Doi Suthep

Amazing Thailand Huh?

Anyone phoned Mulder and Scully yet?

Gaz,

You'll get my sympathetic ears!

I too have seen river running upstream. That was during the approach of a hurricane while I lived in New Orleans. The storm was blowing really hard pushing the surface water of the mighty Missisippi river upstream. It was quite a sight to behold. [Naturally the lower portion of the river must continue to run downstream, but we couldn't see that.]

The irrigation canal was designed to have a rather gentle gradient to serve its purpose. So if the water from Doi Suthep (west of the canal) runoff rushes in to join the canal at a certain spot, the water level at that spot naturally will rise up in response. This can then be easily higher than the nearby upstream water level, causing water to flow upstream at the surface. then things get back into balance later, and normal behavior resumes.

Water running uphill westward would be similar. If the deluge from the release of Mae Ngud Dam, or from other causes make the canal level rise quickly, it can overflow the banks, including the west bank heading uphill.

Edited August 2, 2006 by stateman

[Jai Dee]

An aerial view of the heavily flooded area in Chiang Mai’s Hang Dong district yesterday.

A soldier helps build a flood barrier with sandbags in an urban area of Chiang Mai’s Muang district.

The overflowing Mae Ping threatens a riverside hotel in the northern city.

Source: The Nation - 2 August 2006

[Jai Dee]

PM links flooding to political crisis

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday flooding in the northern provinces had been aggravated by the political crisis, which forced the government to delay its 200-billion-baht national water-management project.

“The protracted political conflict has caused the caretaker government to put all its planned megaprojects on hold until after the election,” Thaksin said.

“However, I have already told provincial administrations in affected provinces to give primary aid to those who are suffering and [Prime Minister’s Office] Minister Newin Chidchob has been assigned the task of relieving the problem,” he said.

Thaksin denied allegations that deforestation to build the Chiang Mai Night Safari had contributed to the flood damage in the North. He added that deforestation had been going on in Chiang Mai for 10 years.

Meanwhile, heavy rain continues to fall in the upper northern region.

In Chiang Mai, where it has been raining nonstop since Sunday night, there has been minor subsidence to the old city wall, while more than 200 families have been affected by flood damage. The water level in the Ping River in the centre of the city reached 4.32 meters – 0.55 meters above the critical level.

However, Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit said after visiting the province that water levels had fallen in many areas. He expressed confidence the river would not cause flooding in the city’s commercial district.

“The government is not neglecting the problem. The construction of the Ping River flood prevention wall is continuing as the Meteorological Department has warmed of a tropical depression in the South China Sea that is predicted to cause further heavy rain in some parts of the North, Northeast and East,” Sermsak said.

Flooding also interrupted train services between Chiang Mai and the neighboring province of Lampang. Damage to the railway line in Lampang’s Hang Chat district forced the railway authority to cancel services to and from Chiang Mai yesterday, said Sompong Butrakhun, Chiang Mai railway station chief. Normal services are expected to resume in the next three days after damaged track has been repaired.

At the moment, all trains traveling to Chiang Mai via Lampang are forced to stop at Khun Tan station, where passengers are transferred by bus to Chiang Mai.

In Lampang, floodwaters in Hang Chat and Mae Mo districts are receding.

Janthip Lasaensueb, 53, a resident of Mae Mo was killed in the floods and 28 villages have suffered damage.

Source: ThaiDay - 2 August 2006