Thailand flooding kills nine, displaces thousands

BANGKOK: Flooding driven by heavy rains in southern Thailand has killed nine people and displaced more than 13,000, officials said Saturday, as rescue teams using boats and jet skis worked to reach stranded residents.

Local media footage showed residents wading through murky, chest-deep water and cars submerged in flooded streets.

“Flooding across eight provinces in southern Thailand has affected 553,921 households and claimed nine lives, prompting agencies to mobilise urgent assistance,” the country’s disaster agency said on its official Facebook page.

More than 13,000 people had been forced to flee their homes, with temporary shelters set up in schools and temples, it added.

Two hospitals in nearby Pattani province suspended operations to prevent floodwaters from damaging medical facilities.

In neighbouring north Malaysia, the rains have forced the evacuation of at least 80,000 people to temporary shelters this week, with disaster officials there saying at least four people have been killed.

The Thai Meteorological Department has warned that “very heavy rain” could continue to affect some areas of the country’s south through next week.

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.