Two elephants have drowned, while power was cut and hotels were forced to evacuate guests after the Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai was hit by its worst flooding in decades over the weekend.
Across Thailand, 20 provinces are flooded, including nine in the northern region, where 8,625 households are affected according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
In Chiang Mai, flash floods inundated the night market and hotels and a famous elephant sanctuary, which was forced to evacuate more than 100 elephants, as well as hundreds of other animals including buffalo, pigs, horses, dogs, cats and rabbits.
Rescuers in boats tried to guide the elephants from Elephant Nature Park to safety by following a path marked by a rope. Some roads were inaccessible, and the operation was complicated by the strong currents and lack of phone signal. Rescuers considered giving sedatives to the animals, but this risked causing their trunks to drop into the waters, which were already at very high levels, it was reported.
Two female elephants – Faa Sai and Ploy Thong – drowned.
Saengduean Chailert, director of the sanctuary, said the floods were the worst the centre had seen. “The water rose to three meters and it was so strong that it took out all the big trees. Our cars were swept away. The medical room was destroyed,” she said.
Ploy Thong, who was blind, was rescued from an elephant riding camp in Pattaya in 2018, and had previously worked in the logging industry, Elephant Nature Park said. The sanctuary said she had lost her herd during the flood and was swept away by the current. A video appeared to show other elephants waiting for her as she lagged behind.
Faa Sai was rescued in November 2007, and showed aggressive behaviour as a result of being traumatised by the “elephant crushing” method, where elephants are tamed, ENP said. “Faa Sai ventured close to the river despite the concerted efforts of our team to keep her safe, and tragically, she too was taken by the current,” the sanctuary said.
Northern Thailand, and neighbouring countries, have been hit by severe floods over recent weeks, with Typhoon Yagi last month worsening the seasonal monsoon rains. Water in the Ping River rose to a record 5.3 metres on Saturday night, the highest in 50 years, according to the Bangkok Post.
In Chiang Mai, the floods inundated the popular night market, while large trucks evacuated tourists from affected areas. Images of monks from the Pa Paeng Temple in Muang district wading through shoulder-level muddy waters, carrying white coffins above their heads were shared on social media. The temple had decided to proceed with cremations because power cuts would affect the mortuary refrigeration, according to Thai news. Power cuts have affected downtown areas of Chiang Mai, while the train station has been closed and some hospitals shut.
Waters have begun to recede, it was reported on Monday, however several key roads remain closed and many homes are still cut off by the waters.
Three people in Chiang Mai have died in the floods, including a 44-year-old man who was electrocuted and a 33-year-old woman who died in a mudslide.
Bangkok and provinces in the central region of Thailand have also been warned of possible floods due to rising water levels in the Chao Phraya River.
Residents in parts of Nonthaburi, which borders Bangkok, have been advised to move their belongings to higher grounds and use sandbags to protect their homes.
