Tourists evacuated from Mae Hong Son resorts as the Pai River overflows

The overflowing Pai River has inundated several resorts in Mae Hong Son’s Pai district in the early hours of Wednesday, as officials rushed to rescue villagers and tourists to safety.

Affected resorts include Pai Riverside Golden Hut, Canary Guesthouse, and Pai Nai Fun, which are located on the banks of the river, Pai district chief Anek Panthayom said on Wednesday.

He said rescue staffers escorted locals and tourists trapped in these resorts to safety at around 6am on Wednesday. Among them were two Israeli national tourists. They have been transported to a temporary shelter at Wat Pa Kham temple in Muang district of the northern province.

Anek said six villages in Wiang Nua, Mae Hee, and Wiang Tai subdistricts were flooded since 3am on Wednesday due to the Pai overflowing.

There are no reports of injuries, deaths, or missing persons as of reporting time.

Anek said the level of the Pai River started to stabilise on Wednesday morning. He estimated that the flood situation in Pai district would return to normal today if there were no additional heavy rains in the areas.

Local officials will, however, remain on standby to evacuate locals out of risky areas in case the situation worsens, he added.

Pol Lt-Colonel Suwit Boonyapen, chief of Mae Hong Son tourist police, said that his bureau had been coordinating with resort operators in Pai affected by the flood regarding the transport of tourists to temporary shelters.

The tourist police have also been providing food, drinking water, and clothes to these shelters to be delivered to those in need, he said.

Pai, a small town sitting in a valley on the banks of the Pai River, is known for its beautiful gorges, hot springs and waterfalls that attract domestic and foreign tourists almost all year.