NARATHIWAT: The Sungai Kolok river overflowed on Monday morning, inundating many riverside communities, following five days of heavy rain in all 13 districts of this southern border province.
Swollen by runoff from Sankaka Khiri mountain, the Sungai Kolok river rose about 30 centimetres per hour and eventually overflowed.
Hardest hit was Ban Nam Tok, or Moo 5 village, in tambon Pasemat of Sungai Kolok district, with 50 households and a population of about 250. Water there was 40-60cm deep, forcing residents to move about in small boats.
However, four communities in the municipality which were normally heavily flooded every year - Tha Prapa, Tha Chomphu, Tha Che Kaseng and Hua Saphan - were under only 20-30cm of water thanks to flood prevention walls built by the municipality on both sides of the river, although they were only 95% complete.
Disaster prevention and mitigation officials and soldiers from Infantry Company 151 were helping flood-hit villagers move belongings to high ground in anticipation of more runoff from San Kala Khiri mountain.
Sungai Kolok municipality mayor Suchada Phannara said a flood shelter had been set up at the one-tambon-one-product (OTOP) building near the Sungai Kolok immigration checkpoint.
