In the early, still hours of August 27, a roaring wall of mud and water tore down from the hills above Mae Chaem district, Chiang Mai, and changed lives in an instant. What began as one landslide in Pang Ung village quickly became a double tragedy: first, a predawn slide that destroyed homes and sent people to hospital; then, as night fell, another catastrophic mudslide that killed four people, injured 15, and left five others missing.
At 2:50 a.m., the first slide struck Pang Ung, smashing five houses and sweeping away belongings in a filthy torrent of earth. Emergency responders found one person dead and more than ten injured; victims were rushed to Khun Yuam and Mae Chaem hospitals for treatment. Rescuers worked through the mud and the dark, and one resident remained unaccounted for after initial searches.
But the calamity didn’t stop there. In the evening, torrential rains unleashed a second, more devastating mudslide that swept through Ban Pang Ung and nearby Ban Pang Ung Mai in Mae Suek subdistrict. The deluge damaged more than 100 houses and completely destroyed eight. Chiang Mai Deputy Governor Siwakon Buaphong told reporters the flash floods and mudslide struck two villages, each with roughly 500 households and about 2,000 people—underscoring how many lives and livelihoods were suddenly at risk.
Officials confirmed four fatalities from the second incident—two Shan and two Thai villagers—and 15 injured, including two in serious condition. Five people remain missing and are believed to be Shan. The human cost is heartbreakingly immediate: families uprooted, homes swallowed by mud, and a small community thrust into a long, uncertain recovery.
Local authorities, military teams, foundation workers, and volunteers launched an all-hands rescue and relief effort. Heavy machinery and water trucks were mobilized to clear roads and shift debris; lighting equipment was brought in to enable night operations; and the Chiang Mai Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office coordinated efforts to stabilise damaged slopes and restore basic infrastructure.
Ban Pang Ung School became an impromptu shelter for survivors, taking in more than 50 evacuees while relief teams set up temporary support systems. The Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation reported supplying food, water, and emergency equipment to affected residents. With rain still falling across northern Thailand, officials issued evacuation orders for areas deemed at high risk of further slides.
Rescue workers face treacherous conditions: continuing rain, unstable ground, and the ever-present threat of more slides complicate search operations. Teams are racing not only against time, but against the weather itself. Lights and generators keep rescue zones visible after sundown, but muddy terrain and hidden pockets of water make every step perilous.
The scale of destruction in Mae Suk subdistrict is a stark reminder of how quickly nature can redraw a landscape. Buildings have been swept away, roads clogged by silt and uprooted trees, and fields turned into sludge. Beyond the physical damage, the emotional toll on residents—many of whom have lived in these communities for generations—is enormous.
Authorities are urging everyone in the region to stay alert and to follow evacuation instructions. If you live in a hillside community or near waterways, local officials recommend moving to higher ground at the first sign of heavy, persistent rain. Community leaders and relief organisations are coordinating to provide shelter, food, medical care, and psychological support to those affected.
For now, search teams continue to comb through the mud for the missing, while relief crews work to re-open roads and restore essential services. The solidarity shown by soldiers, volunteers, local officials, and neighbours has been immediate and brave—but the work of rebuilding will be long and arduous.
This double blow to Mae Chaem is part of a wider weather pattern menacing northern Thailand: persistent torrential rain has prompted weather warnings across many provinces and raised the spectre of additional landslides and flash floods. Residents are advised to monitor local news channels and heed directives from the Chiang Mai Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office and provincial authorities.
In the midst of disaster, the small acts matter—the warm bowl of soup handed to a shivering evacuee, the flashlight beam that reveals a trapped person, the bulldozer that clears a path to rescue. As Mae Chaem confronts this crisis, the community’s resilience will be tested, and the next days will show how quickly and compassionately aid can arrive.
Authorities continue to update the public as search efforts progress. At the same time, emergency responders and volunteers remain focused on saving lives, securing unstable slopes, and giving the displaced a place to sleep and a meal to eat. The hope now is simple and immediate: find the missing, care for the injured, and keep everyone out of harm’s way until the rains subside and the ground can be properly assessed.
This was an eyewitness summary of the two slides in Pang Ung and Ban Pang Ung Mai; rescuers are still searching and five people remain missing. Heavy equipment, lighting and shelters have been set up, but ongoing rain and unstable slopes are hampering operations. Please follow evacuation orders and stay tuned for official updates.
I’m from Mae Chaem and it felt like the whole hill gave way at once — the sound was terrifying. The deputy governor came by but people need faster assistance and clearer information right now.
The description aligns with rapid-onset shallow landslides triggered by intense precipitation on saturated, deforested slopes. Immediate priorities should be search-and-rescue safety, debris stabilization, and a rapid needs assessment for displaced households.
Thanks for the local perspective, Somchai, and the technical note, Dr. Patel — I’ll add both angles in the next update and include details about slope stabilization efforts.
Why did warning systems fail us? We had rain for days and no sirens or clear evacuation calls for some villages. I feel like lives could have been saved with better alerts.
Early warning is only part of it; many villages rely on word of mouth and some elders don’t have phones. Investments in community alarms and regular drills are overdue.
This is on local government planning, not random nature. If they had proper land use rules, maybe they’d stop people building under steep slopes.
I agree on drills, but please don’t shame victims — many have nowhere else to go and have farmed here for generations.
So sad, I saw pictures and it made me cry. How do people live after everything is gone?
Communities rebuild slowly and with outside help; schools and charities often provide essentials at first, then housing and psychological support come later. It’s important children feel safe again.
Thank you, Teacher Kim. I want to help — can students donate things or is money better?
This event is a predictable outcome of extreme precipitation interacting with altered hill slopes. Policy failure includes inadequate watershed management and incentives that push agriculture onto fragile land. Long-term solutions require reforestation, engineered drainage, and relocation planning where risks are unacceptable.
Relocation is a hard sell when livelihoods are tied to the land; you can’t just tell people to move without socioeconomic plans. Resilience must include alternative incomes.
I’ve been saying for years that mountain logging and road building destabilize slopes. Stop blaming the rain alone — human activity multiplies the danger.
All true — integrated policy is needed: combine ecological restoration with social programs that provide viable alternatives before enforced relocation becomes necessary.
Where is the money going? Relief is arriving but we need transparency so aid actually reaches the affected families. Corruption or slow bureaucracy will kill recovery.
Civil society groups should demand public reporting on relief disbursements and inventories of donated goods. Transparency reduces duplication and ensures those on the ground get help fast.
Good point — I’ll share that with neighbours and ask community leaders to post lists of distributed supplies.
Why are many of the missing reported as Shan? This keeps happening and there needs to be a discussion about migrants and land use. Somebody will say it’s racist to ask hard questions, but it affects policy.
It’s irresponsible to scapegoat victims. Missing people are human beings regardless of ethnicity and need urgent help, not blame. Focus on rescue, not politics.
I’m not blaming victims, I’m asking why people are living in risky places and whether enforcement is uneven across communities.
There are historical reasons many groups live where they do, including marginalization. Policy solutions must be fair and protective, not punitive.
I farm upslope and we’ve seen small slides for years; after the wet seasons soil just gives. No one told us the slope classification of our plots when we bought them. That needs to change.
Mapping hazard zones and providing accessible land-suitability info is essential. Simple measures like retaining walls, terraces, and proper drainage reduce risk if combined with community education.
Local training on drainage could help, but people need cash to implement fixes, not lectures.
My cousin’s children are in the school shelter and they are scared but safe for now. The school is full and teachers are exhausted, but neighbours bring food and blankets. We need long-term support, not just the immediate soup and tents.
Shelters are temporary and schools aren’t equipped for long stays; donors should coordinate with education authorities to avoid disrupting classes when it’s time to reopen. Psychological care for kids is critical.
Thanks, Teacher Kim — I will tell the relief teams about counseling services and space for reading activities to keep the kids calm.
This region has been warned about stronger monsoons and shifting rain patterns for years. Why isn’t climate adaptation funded at the provincial level? We need policy that matches the science.
Climate-adaptive infrastructure is expensive but cost-effective over decades. Provincial authorities need climate action plans with clear funding streams and prioritized interventions.
Advocacy groups should push the provincial budget to include hazard mitigation — maybe public petitions could work.
Media keep using dramatic photos and it feels exploitative; are we helping or just gawking? Tourists should be careful about visiting right now and respect local needs.
Responsible reporting aims to inform and spur aid, but you’re right: sensationalism is harmful. We encourage donations to vetted NGOs and ask visitors to avoid the area until relief operations settle.
Many of us drove in last night with shovels, sandbags and blankets; coordination could be better but I saw heroic teamwork. Volunteers need clear channels so we don’t hamper professionals.
Thank you — provincial teams welcome vetted volunteer groups via the disaster office so efforts are efficient and safe. Uncoordinated help can endanger lives.
We’ll register at the coordination point tomorrow and bring lists of supplies so distribution is tracked.
When I was young, we knew to move seeds and livestock away from low ground when the rains started. Now people build wherever they want and expect the state to bail them out. Hard lessons come with a price.
Not everyone can just ‘move’ — elders, incomes, and culture tie families to land. We need help that respects those realities rather than moralizing losses.
I didn’t mean to sound harsh; I just want communities to learn safer practices so children don’t suffer like before.