The Mekong River burst its banks on Sunday morning, flooding Thailand’s Muang district of Nong Khai province.
The floodwaters on the bloated river continue to flow downstream to Bueng Kan and Mukdahan provinces, originating mainly from the Sai River that flowed into Mekong via the Ruak River. The Sai River, originating in Myanmar, has swelled following days of heavy downpours in Myanmar and Chiang Rai.
The Mekong River flows from China, enters Thailand in Chiang Saen district of Chiang Rai province, and flows past Chiang Khong district before entering Laos.
From Laos, it flows into Thailand’s Loei province and continues to Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom Mukdahan, Amnart Charoen, and Ubon Ratchathani provinces.
The floodwaters are expected to reach Cambodia and Vietnam by Tuesday and Thursday respectively.
The flooding in Northern Thailand has been the most severe in the past 80 years and impacted the economy by as much as 27 billion baht, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) estimates.
“The floods have caused 25-27 billion baht in damage to the economy and entrepreneurs in the area,” FTI chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul says, pointing to the devastation of agricultural areas and orchards from heavy rains in Thailand and Myanmar.
Additional downpours are forecast to hit the country this week.
