Worst Flooding In Nearly A Decade

Worst Flooding In Nearly A Decade

Chiang Mai Is Back In Business After Suffering From The Worst Flooding In Nearly A Decade 

On the night of September 27th, 2011, Thailand's second largest city was affected by some of the worst flooding seen in almost a decade. The Ping River overflowed it's banks flooding the surrounding areas with the water reaching nearly 2 meters high in the Night Bazaar area as well as Nong Hoi. Many of Chiang Mai's most prestigious hotels were forced to evacuate guests, ferrying people in and out of the hotel using small boats. The legendary bar district at Loi Kroh was flooded halfway down the street, the rumor is that the rising water levels were causing some of the bar girls to dance on tables, however apparently none of the customers complained, they simply carried on as if this was business as usual.

It will take a lot more than a little water to dampen the spirits of the local people 

The following day it became clear that there was significant damage caused by the floods, not only financial damage but also 4 people tragically lost their lives when their village was hit by flood waters from a nearby hillside run-off. The estimated cost of the damage incurred to local businesses including lost revenue is expected to exceed one billion THB. Despite the flooding in the heart of the city, the mood remained upbeat, with people carrying on with their lives and acting as if it was all in a day's work. Chiang Mai is no stranger to floods, over the years The Ping River has breached it's banks on many occasions, but this has been the worst flooding the city has seen since 2000. 

It will take a lot more than a little water to dampen the spirits of the local people. Thailand is known as "The Land Of Smiles", and when you see the way Thai people remain strong in the face of adversity, picking up and moving on, all while keeping that beaming smile on their face, you can really understand where the slogan comes from. While the areas around Ping River and the Night Bazaar in the center of the city remained flooded for almost 3 days, the local people never missed a beat, children playing in the waist deep water, vendors selling their goods from makeshift tables in front of their flooded shops, all the while everyone kept a smile on their face. 

On September 30, 2011, the flood waters receded, and before the last drops of water had dried, the Night Bazaar was open for business. The street vendors were wheeling out their carts, hotels were cleaning out their lobbies, restaurants and shops were sweeping their storefronts and life slowly began to get back to normal in Chiang Mai. Now more than a week later, floods are affecting cities and provinces around the country, however the city of Chiang Mai is moving on, business as usual, with the water levels back to normal and cleanup underway, Chiang Mai is back in business. 

The strong will and resilience shown by the people of Chiang Mai is likely to be repeated by Thai people in the towns and provinces that are now dealing with floods that are forcing people from their homes around the country. The way the people have joined together to help each other and look after the interests of the community is a testament to what it means to be Thai. The country of Thailand can be proud of the way that the citizens of Chiang Mai have shown strength and determination in dealing with this natural disaster.