As rescue crews used boats and jet skis to try to reach stranded homes, officials reported Saturday that flooding caused by torrential rains in southern Thailand has killed nine people and displaced over 13,000 others.
Residents were seen wading through chest-deep, murky water, and automobiles were submerged in flooded streets, according to footage from the local media.
On its official Facebook page, the nation’s disaster agency stated, “Agencies are mobilising urgent assistance as flooding across eight provinces in southern Thailand has affected 553,921 households and claimed nine lives.”
More than 13,000 people had been forced to flee their homes, with temporary shelters set up in schools and temples, it added.
Nampa, a resident of coastal Songkhla province, told state broadcaster Thai PBS she was concerned about the dwindling food supplies.
“We are doing fine now, but I am not sure how long can we stay in this condition,” she said.
Two hospitals in nearby Pattani province suspended operations to prevent floodwaters from damaging medical facilities.
At least four people have been killed, according to disaster officials in adjacent north Malaysia, where the rains have forced at least 80,000 people to evacuate to temporary shelters this week.
According to the Thai Meteorological Department, “very heavy rain” may persist through next week in certain parts of the country’s south.
The government has deployed rescue teams to assist affected residents and designated 50 million baht ($1.7 million) in flood relief for each province.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said Friday on social media platform X that the goal was to “restore normalcy as quickly as possible”.
While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, scientists say man-made climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
Widespread flooding across the country in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes.
