Severe floods have hit southern Thailand for the past week, claiming 55 lives and disrupting the daily lives of a million households in 10 out of 77 provinces. The water levels continue to rise in the five southernmost provinces near Malaysia, while they have started to recede in others. The government of Bangkok has been forced to send its only aircraft carrier for food distribution via helicopters.
Unprecedented heavy rains fell for three consecutive days, with the unofficial southern capital of Hat Yai recording its highest rainfall in 300 years on Friday, with 335 liters per square meter. This has led to surreal scenes in the streets, with water and food distribution being carried out by motorboats. The Thai government has called for anyone with motorboats to assist in relief efforts. Additionally, the government is providing twenty helicopters and inflatable rafts.
Hospitals have faced dramatic hours, with the ground floor of the Hat Yai hospital flooding and leaving 50 ICU patients in critical condition due to power outages. These critical cases and others were evacuated, and oxygen tanks and generators were supplied. Deliveries of water and food using drones in hard-to-reach areas have also been tested.
In Hat Yai, most cars are completely submerged, except for those that were parked on a bridge beforehand. Hundreds of people were stranded at the city’s airport. Authorities report at least a thousand foreigners are still trapped in the south, with half of them being tourists from neighboring Malaysia. Flooding has also caused devastation in Malaysia, displacing 34,000 people.
Southern Thailand, particularly south of Hat Yai, is a politically sensitive region due to the presence of a Malay-Muslim separatist movement. Their historical grievances are now compounded by what they consider a delayed government response. However, residents of Hat Yai share the same sentiment. The government finally responded by sending an aircraft carrier – a practice previously done during the tsunami and other flood incidents – with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul camping there and canceling all commitments in Bangkok.
In some parts of Hat Yai, the waters have completely flooded the ground floor and reached the first floor. Many rescues have had to be conducted by helicopters from rooftops. Unfortunately, in seven different provinces, some were not as lucky and succumbed to drowning or electrocution. In one street turned into a river, rescue teams encountered a particularly shocking scene: a woman floating on a fridge. Inside the fridge was her deceased mother, whom she did not want the current to take away.
Lastly, the aircraft carrier Chakri Naruebet was built in Ferrol by Bazán (now Navantia), modeled after the Príncipe de Asturias. Commissioned during Thailand’s economic boom in August 1997, just before the Asian financial crisis, the Thai Navy’s relationship with Spain remains strong. Earlier this year, Navantia won the bids to install advanced systems on the Chinese-made helicopter carrier Chang, currently undergoing trials.
Southeast Asia is facing a harsh tropical storm and typhoon season this year, leading to hundreds of thousands of evacuations across several countries. Vietnamese authorities reported 90 deaths from floods and landslides caused by heavy rains. Indonesia is now dealing with a cyclone that has resulted in at least 61 deaths and 100 missing people in northern Sumatra.
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