Government confirms 65 deaths in Songkhla floods amid conflicting reports
The Ministry of Public Health announced yesterday, November 30, that 170 people died in the severe flooding across southern Thailand, including 65 deaths in Songkhla province. The figure conflicts with reports from police and rescuers, who claimed that more than 100 bodies were found in Hat Yai district alone.
According to the ministry, 170 deaths and 102 injuries were recorded across eight southern provinces affected by the floods. The fatalities include 10 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, four in Phatthalung, 131 in Songkhla, two in Trang, five in Satun, nine in Pattani, five in Yala and four in Narathiwat.
Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Sakda Alapach, offered further clarification on the Songkhla figures. He explained that only 65 out of the 131 reported deaths were confirmed to be caused by the flooding.
Eleven people died from medical conditions, while the causes of the remaining deaths are still under investigation by forensic teams.
Thai PBS reported that journalists questioned Sakda again regarding the discrepancies. He reaffirmed that 65 deaths in Songkhla were linked to the floods so far.
The ministry’s figure contradicts updates from several rescue teams and the Royal Thai Police (RTP). The official RTP Facebook page earlier reported that over 100 bodies were discovered in Hat Yai after floodwaters receded.
Former deputy police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn also weighed in, claiming the death toll across the South could be as high as 1,000. He urged the government to stop “concealing the truth” and release accurate information to the public.
The Ministry of Public Health reaffirmed yesterday that its report is accurate and insisted that the government has not hidden any information from the public.
Separately, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports revealed that a total of 1,812 foreign nationals were rescued during six days of operations. Officials confirmed that no foreigners remain stranded.
On Friday, November 28, officials evacuated the latest group of foreign nationals, including four Chinese, two Africans, one Malaysian, one Australian, one Scottish and one Singaporean.
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