Tourists posing for photos on rocks at a popular Thai waterfall were swept downstream by a sudden flash flood on August 15, seconds after park officers blew a whistle ordering them out of the water.
The group of foreign visitors had waded into a restricted zone at Mae Sa Waterfall in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, near the northern city of Chiang Mai, when a wall of muddy water surged down the mountain at roughly 4:20 p.m. local time. Video footage captured by onlooker Arttie Martin shows the river rising in seconds, knocking several tourists off their feet and dragging them downstream as others screamed for help. One long-haired tourist can be seen trying to crawl across the torrent on hands and knees.
Park rangers stationed at multiple points near the waterfall rushed in and pulled the entire group to safety. Every tourist survived, suffering only minor scratches that were treated with first aid on site, the New York Post reported. Authorities have since closed Mae Sa Waterfall to the public.
Martin, who shared the footage through Viral Press, said he had been moments away from following the tourists into the river himself when the flood struck. He told Viral Press the margin between safety and disaster was almost nonexistent.
"I was just about to take off my shoes and walk into the middle to follow the foreigners and take a photo of the waterfall. Just then, I heard an officer blow a whistle, and right after that, it unfolded exactly as seen. It happened so fast."
Park officers said they had told the tourists to leave the water shortly before the flood arrived. Warning signs marking the area as restricted were already in place, but the visitors entered anyway. The park has not disclosed whether any fines or citations were issued against the tourists for entering the restricted zone, and the nationalities and exact number of people caught in the flood remain unidentified.
Thailand's monsoon season runs from roughly May through October, and flash floods at mountain waterfalls are a well-known hazard during those months. Conditions can change with almost no warning: calm, shallow streams become fast-moving torrents within seconds after heavy rain falls higher up the mountain, sometimes miles away from the waterfall itself.
The Northern Meteorological Centre underscored the ongoing danger by issuing a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across the northern region, including Chiang Mai, from August 18 through August 21. The center cited a monsoon trough passing through northern and upper northeastern Thailand, combined with a strong southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
"Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in some areas of the North due to a monsoon trough passing through the northern and upper northeastern regions, combined with a relatively strong south-west monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand."
Authorities urged residents to stay alert for flash floods, particularly in hillside areas near waterways and low-lying zones. Travelers were warned to avoid flood-prone routes entirely. Water levels at Mae Sa Waterfall have since receded, but the site remains shut down with no announced reopening date.
Martin acknowledged that posting the footage raised privacy concerns but said his purpose was public safety, not spectacle.
"I would like to clarify first that posting this clip is not intended to violate anyone's privacy or publish images of the individuals featured without permission. If any part of this makes those appearing in the clip feel uncomfortable, I sincerely apologize."
He framed the video as a warning for anyone visiting waterfalls during the rainy months.
"I am sharing this because I want it to serve as a cautionary tale for all tourists. Especially during the rainy season, when visiting waterfalls, you should exercise extra caution, observe warning signs and instructions from staff, and continuously monitor the colour, level and current speed of the water, as conditions can change extremely quickly."
That advice is common sense. Warning signs exist for a reason, and park officers were on site doing their jobs. The tourists chose to ignore both, and only luck and fast-acting rangers kept a selfie from becoming a funeral.
