Severe floods hit southern Thailand, affecting over 240 000 households
Floods caused by continuous heavy rains have severely impacted 68 districts in seven provinces in southern Thailand, including Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Phatthalung, and Satun. Among these provinces, Songkhla has been particularly hard-hit, with its governor officially declaring all 16 districts as disaster zones on Friday, November 29, 2024.
Image credit: JMA/Himawari-9, Zoom Earth, The Watchers. Acquired at 06:40 UTC on November 28, 2024
At least 4 people have been killed and over 240 000 households have been affected after heavy rains over the past couple of days caused severe flooding in southern Thailand.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, floods affected 68 districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat.
In the southern province of Songkhla, flooding was reported in 671 villages across all 16 districts, affecting more than 95 000 people from 49 000 households
On Friday, November 29, the Songkhla governor declared all districts as disaster zones.
The worst affected district in the province is Na Thawee district, where 13 873 households were affected, followed by Hat Yai with 6 640 households, Khlong Hoi Khong with 6 547, Chana with 4 646, Thepha with 4 361, Sadao with 3 901 households and Muang with 3 384.
The flooding has severely affected the tourism sector in Songkhla which many Malaysians had previously planned to visit. Songchai Mungprasithichai, President of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association noted that the cancellations impacted both group and individual travel.
“Both tour groups and individual tourists canceled their trips to Hat Yai during this weekend and next weekend. Even though Hat Yai was not affected, surrounding districts were inundated,” Mungprasithichai stated.
Hat Yai’s hotels were about 70% full on weekends before the flooding. Floods in nearby areas have now led to cancellations affecting flights and travel through border checkpoints. Tourism operators expressed hope that the conditions might improve in time for the December holidays.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall was recorded across the region between November 20 to 23. Chian Yai in Nakhon Si Thammarat province received 205 mm (8.07 inches) of rain, while the Khao Chong Botanical Garden in Na Yong, Trang province, recorded 128.2 mm (5.05 inches).
In Pattani, four hospitals have been temporarily closed because of rising floodwaters that have inundated their compounds, requiring the evacuation of patients to field hospitals, the Bangkok Post reported.
Heavy rain for 3 consecutive days in the Narathiwat province resulted in a death of a student and forced over 2 700 people to leave their homes. Authorities have temporarily closed 65 schools and are working to reduce the impact of the disaster.
Wasan Chaitaweewong, head of the disaster prevention department, confirmed these numbers and said emergency efforts are ongoing.
More than 500 soldiers and volunteers have been deployed to distribute relief supplies and evacuate residents from affected areas.
Trakul Totham, Narathiwat Governor, announced the establishment of a specialized team to expedite water drainage in flood-prone zones.
The Thai Meteorological Department issued heavy rain warnings predicting rainfall across 70% of Narathiwat until early December.
Residents in Yala said they are witnessing the region’s most severe flooding in 2 decades with water levels rose in areas like Sateng Nok, Tha Sap, and Budi in Muang district. People living near the Sai Buri River were told to move their valuables as the water neared dangerous levels.
In Songkhla, flooding has hit Kanjanavanich Road, which is a main route between Hat Yai and Muang districts forcing traffic to use other roads like Lopburi Ramaed Road. Tambon Ban Pru in Hat Yai was one of the worst-affected areas with floodwaters over 1.5 m (4.9 feet) deep, submerging more than 100 homes and affecting 250 people.
Evacuation centers were set up at Ban Khlong Pom School and Ban Rai, and sandbags were distributed 24/7 at Jiranakorn Stadium and Hat Yai City Municipal Park.
Flooding also impacted educational institutions with schools such as Taveerat School and Hat Yai Wittayalai 2 School suspending classes. Ban Yaho School in Narathiwat was closed after floodwaters reached 90 cm (2.9 feet).
All trains heading to Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat now stop at Hat Yai Junction as floods have made the tracks beyond Hat Yai unusable. The Public Health Ministry is keeping an eye on 113 healthcare centers in the hardest-hit provinces (Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat) to make sure medical services continue despite the tough conditions.
References:
1 Thai floods wash out Malaysian demand for holidays in Songkhla – Malay Mail – November 29, 2024
2 Floods ravage four southern provinces – Bangkok Post – November 28, 2024
3 Govt revs up flood aid in South – Bangkok Post – November 30, 2024
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.
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