More floods hit Mae Sai as market bears brunt

CHIANG RAI: Locals of Mae Sai district have had to endure a fresh round of damage after more floods struck less than a month after recovering from rainy season inundation.
Heavy downpours throughout Thursday night were reported to have caused flooding at the Sai Lom Joy market located on the bank of the Sai River in Mae Sai district.
Nearby Muang Daeng Road and Lung Khon Wood Market were not affected by the floods so far, according to a local source.
The province’s Mae Sai and Muang districts were also ravaged by severe floods in September.
Chotnarin Koedsom, acting Chiang Rai governor, yesterday led the discussion joined by officials from relevant agencies including Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office and Irrigation Office on disaster prevention in Muang and Mae Sai districts.
The discussion focused on capacity and water flow in key rivers, including Kok, Lao, Sai, Ruak, and Mekong, based on data reports from August to September.
Mr Chotnarin said that the panel agreed on several infrastructure measures to help lessen the intensity of flooding, including dredging the rivers, constructing water retention walls, removing properties encroaching on the rivers, and having better urban planning and building controls.
Meanwhile, the Geological Disaster Operation Centre reported a 4.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar and detected it in some areas of Thailand.
The tremors along the Mengxing Fault were reported at 11.30pm last Thursday. The epicentre was in the Shan State of Myanmar, 42 kilometres away from Mae Sai district, and about 7 kilometres underground.
A 3.5-magnitude aftershock followed at 1.03am yesterday 10 kilometres underground.
The quake was detected in ten districts of Chiang Rai: Chiang Khong, Chiang Saen, Mae Fa Luang, Mae Sai, Mae Chan, Wiang Chai, Muang, Wiang Chiang Rung, Mae Suai and Doi Luang.
It was also detected in the Fang and Mae Ai districts in Chiang Mai, as well as in Pai district of Mae Hong Son.
The extent of the damage has yet to be recorded, said the centre, adding that a survey of some archaeological sites in the area had been ordered.