Serious flooding in five southern counties is wreaking havoc in 47 regions and impacting more than 128, 000 communities, with flood-related mortality rising to eight.
The most severe storms were reported yesterday in Surat Thani’s Koh Samui city and the majority of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
At the heart of the southern storm problems, they are one of the five provinces. The other three regions are Chumphon, Ranong and Phatthalung.
Elsewhere in the South, floods affected Trang, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, although to a lesser amount.
Immediately, 11 southwestern regions are experiencing storms.
In its update, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation ( DDPM) said the five worst-affected provinces saw inundation spreading to 47 districts, 274 tambons and 1, 998 villages, impacting 128, 035 households.
In just these five regions, eight people have died as a result of the storms.
In all, the southern storms have so far ravaged 702 regions, 5, 050 settlements, affected 737, 091 homes and killed 35 people in the 11 regions.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, flood endures due to continuous heavy rains.
In Tha Sala area, rainwater swept aside electricity wires and submerged important roads, disrupting travel and causing widespread blackouts.
Economic centers, including Muang area, remain underground, with storm amounts reaching 100-120cm in low-lying areas.
Visitors on major roads, such as Highway 401 connecting Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, has been closed to small cars.
In Surat Thani’s Koh Samui area, heavy rain throughout the evening triggered floods in various places.
Runoff from the hills surged into villages and industrial areas, paralysing travel.
Some roads were inaccessible due to high floodwater. Tourists were advised to allow extra time to travel to flights and ferry terminals because classrooms are closed.
A landslide in tambon Maret claimed the lives of two Burmese design workers, Aung Ko Ko, 19, and Moe Zet, 39.
Phumtham Wechayachai, the deputy prime minister and defense minister, put the president’s readiness to deal with the crisis in the context of emergency funds being allocated to flooded areas and military engineers being dispatched to aid with relief operations.
Local rulers and disaster response teams have also been instructed to prioritize life-saving initiatives, deliver emergency supplies, and finish infrastructure repairs as quickly as possible.
The severe flooding is caused by changing natural conditions, which he said is a new threat that needs to be taken into account when developing national safety plans. He added that a concerted effort is required to address the issue.
However, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul have confirmed that they will travel to Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat nowadays to evaluate flood-related damage and provide the government with the needed assistance.