Motorists planning to use the Chiang Mai-Hod road have been advised to take an alternative route, via the San Pa Tong-Hang Dong road along the irrigation canal in Hang Dong district, due to heavy flooding.

Traffic police in Hang Dong closed off the in-bound Chiang Mai-Hod road today (Saturday), after it became impassable to all small vehicles, following 100mm of rainfall in the Doi Suthep mountain area in the past 24 hours.

Heavy rainfall has also been reported in Chom Thong, Doi Lo and Hang Dong districts since yesterday and more rain is forecast for Chiang Mai province from until Monday.

Officials in Chom Thong district have advised people to refrain from swimming or venturing into waterfalls and creeks flowing from the Doi Inthanon mountain, due to strong currents following the continuous heavy rain.

Motorists using the Chom Thong-Doi Inthanon road have also be warned to exercise extreme caution, due to slippery road conditions, fallen trees and landslides.

According to the provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation office, Hod, Chom Thong and Dai Tao districts have seen heavy rain since last night, resulting in the Mae Klang stream in Hod and the Mae Hat stream in Doi Tao breaching their banks and temporarily flooding farm land and households.

In the northern province of Phetchabun, overflows from the Khlong Lam Kong reservoir have flooded about 2,000 households in Nong Phai district.

Runoffs from the Pasak River have flooded the main road from Muang district to Wichian Buri district.