Three dead in southern Thailand floods, more heavy rain expected

Three people perished in flood-related incidents in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Yala yesterday as the southern border region braces for more rain, potential flash floods, and forest runoff.

Two of the victims were in Phrom Khiri district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, where three tourists were caught off guard by forest runoff while visiting Wang Lung waterfall in the late afternoon. Heavy rain in the mountains triggered the sudden rush of water. One person was rescued, but the bodies of the other two were later found trapped in bushes.

In Betong district, Yala, 66 year old Koder Luebaji, was swept away when his house on a canal bank collapsed during heavy rain. His body was recovered later, while six family members managed to escape and seek shelter with relatives. Officials reported that two houses by the canal were swept away, and three people trapped in trees were rescued.

Heavy rain also caused landslides in Betong and Than To districts, uprooting electricity poles and blocking roads. Rescue and assistance operations are ongoing as water levels began to normalise by late this morning.

Significant damage included the severing of a bridge at the Tambon Dok Chang municipality intersection, leading to road closures and traffic diversions.

The Thai Meteorological Department warned that heavy rain will persist in the southern region, particularly in provinces along the Gulf of Thailand. Residents are urged to prepare for possible flash floods and high waves.

Thailand flood

Meanwhile, in the northern region, Chiang Mai city is undergoing a large-scale clean-up, with nine roads closed to clear garbage. Water pumps have been deployed to drain water from low-lying areas.

In Lamphun, the navy has been asked to provide boats to help push water out of flooded areas, with expectations that the floodwater will be drained by mid-month.

In Chai Nat province, water releases from the Chao Phraya Dam have been reduced to 2,000 cubic metres per second to mitigate the impact of flooding in downstream provinces. The alert level for the dam is set at 2,730 cubic metres per second.

As of yesterday, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported that flooding has affected 49,724 households in 56 districts across 13 provinces, reported Bangkok Post.

In Chiang Mai, temperatures dropped to 9C at the top of Doi Inthanon this morning, with even cooler weather expected in the coming days. Kriangkrai Chaipiset, chief of Doi Inthanon National Park, stated that the park is preparing for the upcoming tourist season, with new sites set to be introduced this year.

Kriangkrai added that the number of visitors at some spots would be limited to prevent overcrowding and minimise environmental impact.