CHIANG RAI– The upcoming rainy season is bringing a familiar sense of dread to Mae Sai, a busy border town in northern Thailand. The town is facing a serious threat from the very water that flows through it.
According to a recent report by MGR Online , the Sai River, which naturally divides Thailand and Myanmar, has shrunk to a dangerous level. Decades of building and expansion have choked the waterway, leaving it at just a fraction of its original size.
Now, local authorities are racing against time to protect the town, but experts warn that current efforts might not be enough.
In the past, the Sai River stretched over 100 meters wide, giving floodwaters plenty of room to safely flow past the town. Today, that width has been reduced to a mere 20 to 30 percent of its natural size. Over the years, buildings and homes have slowly crept directly into the riverbed.
Assoc. Prof. Chuchoke Ayuphong, an expert in natural disaster management from Chiang Mai University, points out a troubling fact. He explains that the flood walls currently being used are actually sitting right in the middle of what used to be the main river.
This creates severe and immediate risks to Mae Sai:
- Water pressure:Even if the water does not flow over the top of the walls, the intense pressure could easily force water deep under the barriers.
- Height differences:The flood wall on the Thai side is currently about one meter lower than the wall on the Myanmar side, putting Thailand at a major disadvantage.
- Complete collapse:If heavy rains arrive, the sheer volume of water could easily break through the current defenses.
Temporary Fixes While Danger Looms
Right now, the focus is purely on short-term survival. Military teams, local government workers, and community volunteers are working hard to reinforce the riverbanks. They are stacking massive sandbags, widely known as “big bags,” along the edge of the water.
The urgent work is divided into specific areas:
- Zone A1 (Hua Fai Community):152 large sandbags have been added to this critical frontline area, which is the first point of impact for rising water.
- Zone B2:86 additional bags have been firmly placed.
- Zone C4:170 extra bags are helping secure this vulnerable section.
This project is currently about 21 percent complete, with workers aiming to finish by late June. However, these giant sandbags are only a temporary band-aid. They are designed to last for about eight months to a year before they begin to naturally break down.
Furthermore, local officials have parked heavy digging machines near the main bridge to quickly clear away trash and weeds if the river starts to rise rapidly. The only true way to save Mae Sai from future disaster is to give the river its space back. This means removing the hundreds of buildings that are blocking the water.
Chiang Rai province has already secured a budget of 39 million baht to start tearing down these structures. However, the project is currently frozen. The land in question is controlled by the government’s Treasury Department, and officials are still waiting for final approval to move forward. Prof. Chuchoke has urged the government to treat this as a special emergency case to speed up the paperwork.
Mae Sai District Chief Warayuth Khombun noted that many residents understand the danger and have agreed to move. However, they are asking for basic fairness. They want the local government to provide them with new plots of land to live on, or financial compensation so they can afford to start over elsewhere.
A Billion-Baht Vision for the Future
Looking back at the devastating floods of late 2024, the government knows a permanent fix is absolutely required. Planners have mapped out a massive, long-term project to completely overhaul the river’s defense system.
The scope of the problem is huge:
- A total of 843 structures need to be removed from the riverbanks.
- 162 of these are on state property, while over 500 are on public or other types of land.
To address this, a 2.95 billion baht master plan is in the works. This massive budget will fund strong, permanent flood walls, new roads, and proper drainage systems. It also includes plans to build safe new communities for the displaced residents.
The survey and design phase is expected to wrap up by mid-2026. If the national government approves the plan, construction will take several years to finish by 2032. Until then, the people of Mae Sai can only watch the sky, hoping the temporary sandbags will hold back the water for one more year.
