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In southern Thailand, unprecedented flooding has forced authorities to declare a state of disaster across Songkhla province, centered around the bustling tourist city of Hat Yai. Record rainfall, the highest in over 300 years, has caused devastating floods, isolating residential areas and, most notably, stranding thousands of international tourists in hotels and airports, turning a holiday into a tense battle for survival.
Songkhla province, centered around Hat Yai city, a popular tourist destination especially for visitors from Malaysia and Singapore, has become a battleground against natural disasters. The governor of Songkhla, Ratthasart Chidchoo, made a dire decision on November 24th, declaring all 16 districts of the province a disaster zone, emphasizing the need for urgent evacuation.
The devastating floods in Thailand.
According to the Royal Thai Irrigation Department, the cause of this historic flood was a strong monsoon trough combined with a low-pressure system over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, which unleashed a torrential downpour. In Hat Yai alone, the city received 335 mm of rain on November 21st, and the total rainfall over three days (November 19-21) reached 630 mm, far exceeding the historic flood of 2010. This is an unprecedented figure in the past three centuries. A series of alarming figures emerged, affecting 10 southern provinces of Thailand, impacting nearly 720,000 households and 1.9 million people. Hat Yai recorded 335 mm of rainfall per day, the highest in 300 years; over 465,000 people in Songkhla were affected, 235 people were evacuated, and thousands of tourists were stranded.
At the epicenter of the flooding, fear and anxiety gripped thousands of stranded tourists. Local media, including the Bangkok Post and The Nation, reported extensively on the chaotic situation. More than 1,000 tourists were isolated in luxury hotels as well as Hat Yai Airport, which was still struggling to operate under dire conditions.
Rising floodwaters have cut off vital roads, making road travel impossible. News images and videos circulating on social media show tourists wading through knee-deep, rushing water in the city center, while many others take refuge on the upper floors of hotels, awaiting assistance.
Notably, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that approximately 4,000 of its citizens had been severely affected by the flooding in Hat Yai, urging them to wait in the hotel lobby while Thai authorities carried out the evacuation. This highlights the international scale of the disaster and the concentration of tourists in the area.
Rising floodwaters have cut off major roads, isolated hotels, and left tourists stranded.
In the midst of the chaos, essential infrastructure collapsed. For safety reasons, electricity was cut in many areas, adding to the panic. More seriously, internet and clean water services were also disrupted, making communication and securing basic necessities extremely difficult. Heartbreaking cries for help from trapped locals and tourists echoed throughout the night, with many using flashlights and shouting from rooftops to attract the attention of rescue forces.
Hat Yai has officially issued a red alert, ordering the urgent evacuation of residents in 103 communities. Heavy rains in the U-tapao River basin caused canals to overflow rapidly, submerging densely populated residential areas. Images in the media showed many motorcycles almost completely submerged, cars and trucks stranded, while military flat-bottomed boats were deployed to rescue people trapped on rooftops.
The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports is directing a relief operation for tourists, providing essential supplies.
In response to the urgent situation, the Thai government reacted strongly. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is coordinating an emergency relief operation specifically for tourists, focusing on providing essential supplies to isolated hotels and organizing evacuations using heavy trucks and boats. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul flew to Hat Yai to inspect the situation, while the Thai Army and Navy were mobilized to the maximum extent, deploying personnel, resources, and even helicopters from the HTMS Chakri Naruebet to assist the victims.
Governor Songkhla Rattasart Chidchoo said the floods, which began on November 19, have affected more than 465,000 people across 16 districts.
However, the weather forecast remains extremely bleak. The regional meteorological center warns that extreme weather will continue until at least November 25th, and the risk of renewed flooding remains very high. Flooding continues in most of the 10 southern provinces, except for Surat Thani and Krabi where floodwaters are receding. Disruptions to rail and road transport are also prolonged, paralyzing major highways.
This disaster not only caused material damage but also served as a serious warning about climate change. The La Nina phenomenon, which leads to higher-than-normal rainfall in Southeast Asia, is considered by meteorologists to be a factor increasing the risk of historic flooding in the region.
Songkhla and Hat Yai, the tourism and commercial heart of southern Thailand, are bracing themselves for one of the most severe natural disasters in modern history, with thousands of tourists and locals awaiting a light at the end of the tunnel.
