(Bloomberg) -- Areas of a key tourist city in northern Thailand, as well as the surrounding provinces, have been flooded by swelling water levels of a major river in addition to a dam exceeding storage capacity.
The Ping River is at a “critical level” of 5.3 meters, and continuing to rise, Chiang Mai Municipality said in a Facebook post. The worrisome situation means preparation is needed to manage anticipated increasing water levels from heavy rains, Jirayu Houngsub, adviser to the Prime Minister, said in a statement.
Water supply in Mae Nghat Dam, Chiang Mai’s biggest reservoir, reached 113% of its storage capacity on Saturday, according to data from the Irrigation Department’s website. Seven districts in Chiang Mai are touched by the floods, which have affected 918 households, the department said in a statement.
Rising floodwaters have caused tourists to flee from several hotels in downtown areas of Chiang Mai, Thai language newspaper Prachachat Turakij reported.
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 to accommodate potential delays, it said in a Facebook post. Lanna hospital in the city has also been affected by the floods, according to a separate post.
Torrential rains have continued to wreak havoc in the northern provinces, which are still recovering from Typhoon Yagi’s destruction a few weeks ago, and monsoon rains. Officials have rushed to evacuate about 100 elephants and hundreds of other animals from a flooded elephant conservation center in Chiang Mai, state media Thai PBS reported.
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(Corrects name of city in fourth paragraph to Chiang Mai.)
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