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Record floods threaten residents, elephants in top Thai tourist destination

Residents living along the Ping River watch the steadily rising water levels in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Pongmanat Tasiri/SOPA Images/Zuma Press/dpa/TNS) (Pongmanat Tasiri/dpa/TNS)
Residents living along the Ping River watch the steadily rising water levels in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (Pongmanat Tasiri/SOPA Images/Zuma Press/dpa/TNS) (Pongmanat Tasiri/dpa/TNS)
By Carola Frentzen German Press Agency

BANGKOK – The world-famous temple city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand was again under water on Friday after heavy monsoon rains battered the region.

According to local authorities, the Ping River, which flows through the city of 115,000 residents, reached an all-time high in the evening. Huge volumes of water from upstream districts flooded the popular tourist location, where residents and visitors had to be brought to safety from affected areas.

Volunteers were working to hold back the advancing floodwaters with sandbags.

Many animals were also threatened, especially in elephant camps, where the animals were literally up to their necks in water, media and eyewitnesses reported.

In several locations in Chiang Mai, many elephants that were once mistreated and were rescued live in such facilities, which can also be visited by tourists.

The Elephant Nature Park was particularly badly affected and sent out a call for help to the authorities.

“We are in a serious crisis!” employees wrote on Facebook. “We urgently need help, big cars and big boats to evacuate animals and people from here.”

In the evening, it was reported that several animals, including a buffalo, had been washed away. The Khaosod newspaper quoted the founder of the Friends of Asian Elephants foundation as saying that at least one elephant had already drowned and 30 more were missing.

However, 117 elephants had also been rescued, said Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Many smaller animals such as cats and dogs had also been brought to safety.

It is still the rainy season in many parts of Southeast Asia. Rain has been particularly heavy in the north this year.

Chiang Mai, also known as the Rose of the North, is considered one of Thailand’s prime showpieces with its historic old town and many sights. It already experienced severe flooding in September.

Flooding also occurred repeatedly in other provinces, especially in the province of Chiang Rai, also popular with tourists, located on the border with Myanmar and Laos.

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