Flooding in Thailand maroons thousands in northern province

BANGKOK — Thailand deployed military special forces in the northern province of Chiang Rai on Thursday (Sept 12) after flooding marooned thousands that authorities are trying to reach with boats and helicopters.

At least 33 people have died across Thailand since mid-August from a spate of rain-related incidents including landslides, with nine fatalities this week in two northern provinces hit by adverse weather brought by Typhoon Yagi, according to the government.

Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed at least 197 people in Vietnam, where it made landfall on Saturday and flooded parts of capital city Hanoi.

In Thailand's northernmost province of Chiang Rai, flood waters had started receding from some areas of the hard-hit Mai Sai district, but many riverside settlements were still flooded, said the head of the district, Narongpol Kid-an.

"We are rushing to bring out people trapped inside their houses," he told Reuters. "There are still hundreds of people who need to be rescued."

Local authorities were using boats and helicopters, with support from Thai Navy SEAL special forces, to conduct rescue operations, he said.

"The situation is very delicate," Narongpol said. "When it rains, the water rises very quickly."

The Thai Navy said it deployed nine flat-bottom boats to deliver over a thousand aid packages in Chiang Rai.

Flood waters had also entered parts of Chiang Rai city, one of the largest settlements in northern Thailand, inundating key roads and urban areas.

Out of 10 scheduled flights into and out of Chiang Rai's airport on Thursday, nine had been cancelled, according to its website.

The airport itself had not been flooded but rising waters had made roads to the facility impassable, said