AS CHEIAS EM CHIANG MAI

Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar sprang back into life last night, as floodwater subsided. Many other parts of this northern province remained flooded, though.


Vendors in the heart of Chiang Mai quickly reopened their stalls and shops as soon as floodwater disappeared. Although the floodwater was nearly one metre deep yesterday morning, its level quickly dropped down during the day and finally roads became dry once more.



Apart from the Night Bazaar, key markets like Mueang Mai, Waroros and Ton Lamyai also got back to business as usual.



"We will quickly rehabilitate affected areas," Chiang Mai Governor ML Panadda Diskul said.



Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce secretary general Wittaya Krongsap has estimated that flooding caused more than Bt600 million damages to Chiang Mai businesses each day.



"With three days of flooding, the damages are already well over Bt1.8 billion," he said.



He was speaking as many other parts of Chiang Mai were still struggling with flooding.



In Chiang Mai's Saraphi district, rescue workers had to reach many marooned villages by boats. "Flood hit so fast and this time the floodwater level was so high," Amporn Pongphiew, 52, said.



She is a resident in Thanachok Village in Tambon Nongpeung, where floodwater measured about one metre deep.



Her neighbour Thawatchai Karnman described the ongoing flood as the worst in 40 years. "In the past, floodwater was just about kneedeep," he said.



The Meteorological Department yesterday warned that Nesat tropical storm, though hovering in Vietnam, would cause heavy downpours in Thailand's North and Northeast.



To date, a few dozens of provinces in Thailand have already been flooded. According to the Emergency Operations Centre for Floods, Storms and Landslide, floodrelated death tolls already reached 188 and three people were reported missing.

Fonte - The Nation Bangkok