Several provinces in central Thailand braced for floods Sunday after the Irrigation Department announced it was releasing water from a major dam after weeks of frequent heavy rain.

Central provinces, including the capital Bangkok, have been warned of possible flooding as the Irrigation Department plans to release water from the Chao Phraya Dam to keep it under capacity.

Evacuations are under way to help people stranded at numerous locations in Muang and Saraphi districts of this northern Thai province, which were heavily hit by the overflowing Ping River from late Saturday night.

We urge all travelers in and around Chiang Mai to exercise caution due to increased flooding in the region. While the Chiang Mai International Airport remains open, train services to and from the city are currently suspended.

BANGKOK: Chiang Mai, Thailand's northern city popular with tourists, was inundated by widespread flooding on Saturday (Oct 5) as its main river overflowed its banks following heavy seasonal rainfall.

Areas of a key tourist city in northern Thailand, as well as the surrounding provinces, have been flooded by swelling water levels of a major river in addition to a dam exceeding storage capacity.