Mekong level drops to 1.37m in Nong Khai as sandbars emerge, residents walk to islets
The Mekong River in Nong Khai has fallen to 1.37 metres — far below the 9.16-metre critical level — exposing wide sandbanks across six riverside districts and allowing residents in some areas to walk from the Thai bank to river islets on the Lao side.
Thailand’s officially declared summer season and steadily rising temperatures are driving a sharp fall in water sources in Nong Khai, with the Mekong River registering a particularly steep decline, local hydrology officials said.
The Nong Khai Hydrology Unit under the Department of Water Resources measured the Mekong at 1.37 metres, down 1 centimetre from the same time on February 22, and well below the river’s critical level of 9.16 metres, officials said.
The low water has exposed rocky rapids, sandbanks and broad sandy beaches at multiple points along the Thai-Lao border river, with affected areas reported across all six Nong Khai districts that border the Mekong: Sangkhom, Si Chiang Mai, Tha Bo, Mueang Nong Khai, Phon Phisai and Rattanawapi.
In some locations, the exposed sandbars have made it possible to walk from Thailand to river islets on the Lao side. One notable area is near Ban Mo in Ban Mo subdistrict, Si Chiang Mai district, where residents have been able to walk back and forth between the Thai bank and Don Ching Choo, a large islet belonging to Laos, where many Lao residents are reported to be farming.
In certain spots, residents from both Thailand and Laos have also been able to walk down to catch fish without using boats. Some of the newly exposed sandy stretches have even been turned into makeshift sports grounds for exercise.
