The move follows an incident on Saturday evening when three people were injured and at least 20 homes damaged following a storm that hit Tambon Wiang Kalong in the province’s Wiang Pa Pao district. Damage was estimated at at least Bt1 million.

The Ban Dong Noo 4 village was the worst hit with 20 homes damaged, including Srithanakun Thawanna’s house which also served as a rice mill and rice-drying yard.

Srithanakun’s rice mill collapsed due to the storm that also damaged seven motorcycles and a rice-harvesting vehicle there. Municipality officials rescued three injured people from the debris. A steel bar pierced the hip of mill worker Nikhon Kijae, 42, while fellow worker Sunthorn Khamkham, 34, and Inkham Utthang, 74, were hit by a falling beam. All three were rushed to Wiang Pa Pao Hospital.