Severe flooding across five southern provinces has unleashed chaos in 47 districts, affecting over 128,000 households and causing eight deaths due to flood-related incidents.
Yesterday, Nakhon Si Thammarat and the Koh Samui district of Surat Thani experienced some of the most severe flooding. These areas, along with Chumphon, Ranong, and Phatthalung, are at the heart of the flood crisis in the south.
Floods have also impacted Trang, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, albeit to a lesser extent. Eleven southern provinces are now grappling with flooding.
According to the latest report from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), the five most affected provinces have experienced widespread flooding across 47 districts, 274 tambons, and 1,998 villages, affecting 128,035 households.
These floods have claimed eight lives in these provinces. To date, the floods have devastated 702 districts, 5,050 villages, affected 737,091 households, and resulted in 35 deaths across the 11 provinces.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, heavy rains continue to cause persistent flooding. In the Tha Sala district, floodwaters have knocked down power poles and submerged major roads, disrupting transportation and leading to widespread power outages.
Economic centers, including the Muang district, are submerged, with water levels reaching 100-120 cm in some areas.
Traffic on main routes, such as Highway 401 between Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, has been closed to small vehicles.
Overnight torrential rains in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui district have caused flooding in various areas.
Mountain runoff has flooded villages and commercial areas, crippling transportation.
Many roads are now impassable, schools are closed, and tourists need to plan additional travel time to airports and ferry terminals.
A landslide in tambon Maret claimed the lives of two Myanmar construction workers, Aung Ko Ko, aged 19, and Moe Zet, aged 39.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has highlighted the government’s preparedness to manage the crisis, noting that emergency funds have been directed to affected areas and military engineers have been deployed to aid in relief efforts.
Local governors and disaster response teams have been instructed to focus on saving lives, distributing emergency supplies, and hastening infrastructure repairs.
He noted that the severe flooding, driven by changing natural conditions, poses a new security threat that needs to be integrated into national security strategies, emphasizing the need for a united response.
Deputy Interior Minister Sabeeda Thaiset, alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, will visit Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani today to assess the damage and support local authorities and residents.
