Chiang Mai police have arrested a Chinese man who jumped into the Ping River and floated on a buoy under the Nawarat Bridge, causing panic among locals who were on the bridge monitoring the rising water levels.
The Chinese man who later claimed to enjoy swimming and creating content for the internet, was initially charged with causing a public nuisance and causing fear to others. He was fined and warned not to do it again.
Pol. Col. Prachya Thitla, Superintendent of Chiang Mai City Police Station said on the afternoon of October 3, 2024, at the P.1 water level monitoring point on Nawarat Bridge, a man was spotted floating on what was believed to be a foam buoy in the rapid river current.
He was smiling and waving at those who saw him, which alarmed many people who were on the bridge monitoring the rising water levels of the Ping River, and thought the man was in trouble of drowning. Alarmed, one of the river watcher contacted 191 emergency rescue that rushed to the scene.
When the emergency rescue team arrived they were met with officers from the Chiang Mai police who had apprehended the man after he swam to safety the of river bank. Emergency rescue workers checked to see if the man had suffered any injuries before police took him into custody.
The man was identified as Mr. Li Ping who was an internet content creator from China. He was taken to the Chiang Mai City Police Station and subsequently charged with causing public nuisance, and causing fear to others, and fined 5,000 baht.
Pol. Col. Prachya Thitla of the Chiang Mai city police said Mr. Bin told the arresting officers that he was an internet content creator, and committed the act simply because he loves swimming and likes to create content about playing in the water.
He told police that he had done it many times before, most recently on September 25, 2024, which was also during a flooding period.
Mr. Bin was reprimanded and told that his actions were dangerous, and caused panic and misunderstanding to the public. His actions could also damaging the image of tourism for Chiang Mai Province.
Mr. Bin acknowledged the charges and agreed to pay the fine. He said from now on he would not create content that was risky, and wouldn’t jump into the Ping River to play again.
The Ping River has been continuously rising, and is expected to reach its highest level of 4.95 meters tonight. The Royal Irrigation Department has urged residents living near the Ping River to brace themselves for heavy floods, as the river is anticipated to overflow with runoff from upstream tributaries.
The Upper Northern Region Irrigation Hydrology Centre in Chiang Mai issued a red alert at 11 a.m. on Thursday, warning people in the downtown Muang district to brace themselves for the Ping River to break its banks.
The alert came as the water level at Nawarat Bridge surged to 3.91 meters at 11 a.m., up from 3.70 meters barely an hour before. The centre and concerned residents have been closely monitoring the Ping River, which is severely swollen by heavy rain.
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