On 30th July, heavy rain began falling in Mae Ai district from 4am, causing flash flooding. A total of three villages across two sub-districts were affected.
Ban Hong Luang, Village 8, Mae Ai sub-district — The Mae Ai stream overflowed into two homes, a temple and community roads after debris blocked the flow beneath a bridge crossing the stream. Mae Ai district chief Nitipakorn Saengsuwan, who also directs the district’s disaster prevention and mitigation command centre, assigned deputy district chief Sompop Nokaew to lead a Mae Ai Volunteer Defence Corps company alongside Mae Ai Subdistrict Municipality and village heads to clear the blockage. Water levels are now steadily receding.
Ban San Ton Muang, Village 3, Malika sub-district — Floodwater overflowed onto Highway 107 near Mookata Krua Khun Mae restaurant for roughly 100 metres, also caused by debris blocking water flow, reducing traffic to a single lane. Volunteer Defence Corps members worked with the municipality and village heads to clear the debris and manage traffic. Water levels have since dropped and traffic is running normally.
Ban Hong Noi, Village 6, Mae Ai sub-district — The Mae Ai stream overflowed into homes and community roads, again due to debris blocking the bridge. District chief Nitipakorn visited the site to monitor the situation and led Volunteer Defence Corps members together with the Dor Por 4 protection unit (Small House in the Big Forest project) in clearing mud and debris from residents’ homes. The municipality has since cleared the bridge blockage and water levels have returned to normal.
Separately, a landslide triggered by runoff blocked part of rural highway CM.3023 (Mae Salak–Fang) in Village 14, Mae Na Wang sub-district, between kilometres 30 and 31, leaving one lane passable. Officials warn that continued rain could bring down enough soil to block both lanes entirely.
The Hydrology Section 1 Chiang Mai, under the Regional Water Resources Office 1, reported that as of 6.50am, three villages recorded over 100mm of rainfall in 12 hours: Ban Pang Ton Duea in Malika sub-district (119.0mm), Ban Hua Mueang Ngam in Tha Ton sub-district (111.0mm) and Ban Pha Tai, also in Tha Ton sub-district (106.5mm).
Mae Ai district has instructed local administrative organisations to urgently survey and assess damage in order to provide assistance and declare disaster-affected zones.
