A man and woman row down a road in the Muang district of Nan province yesterday.

Several provinces across the country are bracing for mudslides and flash floods as heavy rains are expected in the next few days.

Residents living in 149 locations vulnerable to mudslides in Surat Thani province have been put on alert for emergency evacuation, provincial governor Wijit Wichaisarn said.

Those living in low-lying areas in Phra Saeng district bordering the Tapee River had been advised to brace for flooding from the river if it swells further in the heavy rain.

In Nan, sandbags have been piled up on both sides of a section of the Nan River to prevent water from inundating areas vital to the local economy.

The water level in the river in Tha Wang Pha district has reached 9.30 metres, exceeding the critical level of 7 metres. The highest flood level reported yesterday was 1.8 metres, inundating a major road between Pua and Tha Wang Pha districts.

The water level in other areas including Muang district has now reached the 7.40-metre marker, while the critical level is at nine metres. Residents living in areas bordering the river are advised to prepare for flash floods.

Provincial governor Parinya Panthong said the flooding was very critical and that it could exceed the severity of one of the worst floods ever faced by the province in 1963.

A man went missing and was feared dead yesterday in Nan province after he was washed away by a flash flood while fishing in the river.

Distribution of food using flatbed boats is under way in seven districts where the maximum floodwater level reached four to five metres.

In Chiang Rai, around 1,000 households in tambon Choke Chai in Doi Luang sub-district were evacuated to higher ground yesterday evening. Locations underneath the pillars of the Thai-Burmese bridge in Mae Sai district where vendors had set up stalls were underwater.

Many areas having historical sites in Chiang Saen district and other districts are at risk of floods from the Mekong River. Local authorities are working out solutions to prevent damage from being done to the sites.

Around 4,000 households in another three tambons in Doi Luang sub-district had earlier been affected by floods while 20,000 rai of farmland had been damaged. Some areas have been left isolated after access roads to them are submerged by floodwater.

In Phang Nga, villagers from 150 households have returned to their homes in tambon Papong in Kapong district after floodwater receded. Several sections of a major road linking Tapua Pa district with Phanom district of Surat Thani between KM112-118, which had earlier been blocked by mudslides and debris, are now open to traffic.