The Yom washed over its banks on Friday and released a deluge of water into the central areas of the New Town. Traders at the city market said the flooding was 80 centimetres deep in places and they were forced into shutting up shop until the waters ebbed away.
Forty municipal workers have been on standby since the flooding began and have been filling holes with sandbags as and when needed. Water management agencies have also been diverting runoff from last week’s heavy rains in the north through to Hok Baht Canal.
The floods were caused by tropical storm Talus. The floods have not receded and an authority spokesperson reported that rice paddy close to the Yom’s banks was still flooded this morning. 12GO ASIA says Sukhothai New Town is 17kms from Sukhothai Historical Park and also far enough from the Yom to escape the flooding.
Authorities in Sukhothai use sandbags to plug holes in floodwall
News in Asia
Authorities in the northern Thai town of Sukhothai have ordered 50,000 sandbags to help reinforce floodwalls. Workers and volunteers have been using them to plug holes in the floodwall alongside the River Yom.