Singaporean family praises Thai hero for helping their father in Hat Yai floods
A Singaporean family praised a Thai man as a hero after he helped their 74 year old father, who became separated from his relatives during the severe flooding in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province.
The 50 year old son, Vincent Toh, told Singapore’s Channel News Asia (CNA) about the unexpected ordeal his family faced during their holiday in Songkhla. The family travelled to Hat Yai for a vacation but became trapped as the floods worsened.
Vincent explained that on Monday, November 24, his father, 74 year old Ronnie Toh, walked to a nearby shopping mall to find a stronger mobile signal. The water level was only knee-deep at the time.
However, the rain intensified, and people inside the mall began to panic. Ronnie called his family to ask whether he should return to the hotel, but they told him to stay put because the situation outside was too dangerous.
Worried about food, water and being alone, Ronnie decided to leave the mall. As he walked back, the water level rose quickly, forcing him to climb onto a souvenir shop for safety.
Ronnie later said the water was higher than a person’s height and may have reached the level of a one-storey building.
His phone battery ran out shortly after, and the family in both Hat Yai and Singapore lost contact with him around 5pm. The family then asked friends and relatives to call Thai police, but hours passed with no updates.
Around midnight, the family in Singapore received a brief call from a Thai number. It was Ronnie, telling them he was safe.
Ronnie revealed that a Thai man named Wiriya found him and brought him to his home to shelter for the night. Wiriya also helped reunite Ronnie with his family the next morning. Vincent said…
“As a family, they welcomed my father warmly and made sure he had food and dry clothes. I think he’s a hero. It was dark, my father was freezing, and without this man, my father would have been in a very bad condition.”
The family was scheduled to fly back to Singapore on November 25, but could not reach the airport due to the flooding and were trapped in their hotel.
Ronnie’s 45 year old niece, Sharon Khoo, described the situation as extremely stressful. Several elderly relatives rely on daily medication, which they only have enough of for a few more days.
She said their hotel is small and appears to be running low on supplies. They have no electricity and can only charge their phones through a backup generator. To find a mobile signal, they have to walk from their room on the third floor up to the seventh floor, where the connection is still unstable.
CNA reported that Ronnie and his family are among thousands of tourists stranded in hotels and at the airport in Hat Yai as the situation remains severe.
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