(Hat Yai, 23rd) Severe rainstorms have caused flooding in Hat Yai city, Songkhla Province, in southern Thailand. The city government has issued a red flood warning and is urgently evacuating residents from 103 communities.
According to Thailand’s "The Nation", as of Saturday (November 22nd), Hat Yai has recorded 595 millimeters of rainfall over three consecutive days, surpassing the total rainfall during the 2000 and 2010 flood disasters. The local drainage system cannot cope, water levels are alarming in many areas, and transportation has been severely impacted.
The eastern part of Hat Yai has been hardest hit by the rain. There, three depressions lack major drainage channels, and the only flood storage area is overflowing, necessitating the release of water into downstream rivers.
On Saturday morning, Hat Yai Mayor Narongpong officially issued a red alert, urging citizens to evacuate to higher and safer ground.
The red alert has sparked panic throughout the city, especially in key commercial areas such as the Kim Yong Market and Santisuk Market. Many residents scrambled to move their household belongings, store inventories, and vehicles to higher ground.
According to Thai PBS, due to the flooding making travel difficult, many tourists are unable to buy food, and hotel kitchens have also been temporarily closed due to flooding.
Hat Yai is a popular weekend travel destination for Malaysians. The Malaysian Consulate in Songkhla has issued a travel warning, urging people to refrain from visiting southern Thailand, which has been hit by floods, for the time being.
Many Malaysian tourists are stranded in Hat Yai hotels, including a female tourist with two young children who posted a plea for help on Facebook, hoping that kindhearted people could provide food and drinking water. Her children also urgently need milk and essential items such as diapers.
She stated that there are many residents stranded in the hotel, including those with infants. The hotel has lost power supply, and her phone battery is about to run out.
Widespread flooding has also forced the Thai Chamber of Commerce to cancel its annual conference scheduled to be held in Hat Yai. Five southern bus routes and ten train services have also been temporarily suspended.
The Songkhla Chamber of Commerce estimates that if the flooding lasts one to two weeks, economic losses may reach as high as 500 million baht (about 20 million SGD).
In addition to Songkhla, three other provinces in southern Thailand, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Phatthalung, have also been overwhelmed by heavy rain.
On Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Anutin flew to Hat Yai to inspect the situation. He stated that the government expected heavy rainfall in the south and had already prepared emergency response and relief measures in advance. The southern provinces also have contingency plans and have mobilized resources to assist the area.
The eastern part of Hat Yai has been hardest hit by the rain. There, three depressions lack major drainage channels, and the only flood storage area is overflowing, necessitating the release of water into downstream rivers.
On Saturday morning, Hat Yai Mayor Narongpong officially issued a red alert, urging citizens to evacuate to higher and safer ground.
The red alert has sparked panic throughout the city, especially in key commercial areas such as the Kim Yong Market and Santisuk Market. Many residents scrambled to move their household belongings, store inventories, and vehicles to higher ground.
According to Thai PBS, due to the flooding making travel difficult, many tourists are unable to buy food, and hotel kitchens have also been temporarily closed due to flooding.
Hat Yai is a popular weekend travel destination for Malaysians. The Malaysian Consulate in Songkhla has issued a travel warning, urging people to refrain from visiting southern Thailand, which has been hit by floods, for the time being.
Many Malaysian tourists are stranded in Hat Yai hotels, including a female tourist with two young children who posted a plea for help on Facebook, hoping that kindhearted people could provide food and drinking water. Her children also urgently need milk and essential items such as diapers.
She stated that there are many residents stranded in the hotel, including those with infants. The hotel has lost power supply, and her phone battery is about to run out.
Widespread flooding has also forced the Thai Chamber of Commerce to cancel its annual conference scheduled to be held in Hat Yai. Five southern bus routes and ten train services have also been temporarily suspended.
The Songkhla Chamber of Commerce estimates that if the flooding lasts one to two weeks, economic losses may reach as high as 500 million baht (about 20 million SGD).
In addition to Songkhla, three other provinces in southern Thailand, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Phatthalung, have also been overwhelmed by heavy rain.
On Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Anutin flew to Hat Yai to inspect the situation. He stated that the government expected heavy rainfall in the south and had already prepared emergency response and relief measures in advance. The southern provinces also have contingency plans and have mobilized resources to assist the area.