Severe flooding hit Chiang Mai as the water in the Ping River rose to a record 5.3 metres on Saturday, while two more elephants swept away from a popular animal sanctuary were found dead in Mae Taeng district.
The river, which passes through Chiang Mai city, was rising rapidly and its water level reached 5.30 metres at the Nawarat Bridge around noon on Saturday, breaking records that had stood for 50 years.
The reservoir at the Mae Nghat Dam, the biggest in the northern province, was at 113% of its storage capacity on Saturday, according to the Royal Irrigation Department.
In many areas, floodwaters were about one metre deep on Saturday. Key economic zones in Chiang Mai were badly hit again, just as they were starting to recover from an earlier flood on Sept 26.
A business district on Chang Khlan Road and the Night Bazaar were under one metre of floodwater, and many shops have been forced to close.
Rising floodwater has prompted officials to evacuate tourists to safer areas. However, several hotels remain open and are looking after those visitors who have decided to stay.
Chiang Mai International Airport continues to operate as usual, though passengers are advised to plan for an additional two to three hours of travel time for potential delays.
In Taeng district, floods swamped the famous Elephant Nature Park, killing two of the 126 elephants.
Phang Fah Sai, a 16-year-old female elephant, was found dead on Saturday morning. The other dead elephant was Phloy Thong, a blind female aged 40.
