Torrential floodwaters have devastated southern Thailand, leading to a rising death toll that has reached 25, according to officials on Tuesday. The flooding, which began on November 22, has impacted over 660,000 homes across the region, as reported by the country’s disaster agency on its Facebook page.
Suwas Bin-Uma, a chicken farm owner in Songkhla province, shared the devastating impact of the floods, revealing that he lost his entire flock of more than 10,000 chickens. “I’ve lost at least three million baht ($87,000),” he lamented during an interview with state broadcaster Thai PBS.
The Thai government’s public relations department reported that more than 22,000 individuals have been displaced from their homes due to the flooding, particularly in the provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, Songkhla, and Yala. Social media footage depicted residents in Songkhla province attempting to protect their homes by stacking sandbags against the rising floodwaters.
Abdullah Abu, a village head in Yala province, described the severity of the flooding in his area, stating that waters had risen up to seven meters (23 feet). He informed local media that rescue teams were providing affected residents with just one meal a day.
In nearby Malaysia’s Kelantan state, images captured by AFP showed homes engulfed by floodwaters, with residents working to remove water from their properties. Malaysian disaster officials reported that over 94,000 people remain displaced after being evacuated due to the floods, with five fatalities confirmed.
Heavy monsoon rains are a yearly occurrence in Southeast Asia, but experts are warning that climate change is intensifying weather patterns, making destructive floods more likely. A study published in July indicated that climate change is causing typhoons to form closer to coastlines, intensify more rapidly, and linger longer over land.
Thailand’s weather agency has predicted additional heavy rainfall for the southern regions until December 5. In response to the crisis, the Thai cabinet approved a financial aid package of 9,000 baht per family to support those affected by the floods.
Earlier this year, Thailand’s northern provinces faced severe flooding in early September when Typhoon Yagi swept through the region, resulting in flooding and landslides that claimed hundreds of lives. One district reported its worst inundation in 80 years, while the UN’s World Food Programme noted that the floods in Myanmar caused by Typhoon Yagi were among the worst in the country’s recent history.
