Prolonged floods in Chiang Mai raise subsidence risk

Due to the region’s two-month floods, experts are warning of feasible landslides and sinking in some areas of Chiang Dao region in Chiang Mai.

After a picture that @j_khamsan uploaded to TikTok on Monday showed water pouring from the ground at various locations in the area, making some roads in the area impossible, the alarm was set off.

The earth in some areas of the Chiang Dao area is made of stone, according to Kritsada Moonpa, a scientist at Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Science, which dissolves when exposed to water for a long period of day.

He claimed that large amounts of land in the area were submerged in water when the storms hit the North two months ago, which caused large caves to form filled with water.

Excess water had permeate through any gaps in the ground when these caves were filled.

The extra water frequently has no other choice because the opaque rock layer underneath the limestone-rich ground dissolves yet more limestone, he said, increasing the risk of land subsidence.

At this stage, it is unclear how significant these underground holes are, but more investigation is needed, the scientist said.

He expressed concern because of the district’s high danger of collapsing according to property collapse.