1,000 passengers were stranded at Hat Yai airport and 4,000 guests were stuck in hotels in Hat Yai district, southern Thailand, due to severe flooding.
According to Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn, on November 23, about 1,000 passengers could not leave Hat Yai airport, Khlong Hoi Khong district, southern Songkhla province, due to severe flooding. Airport management provided food, water, toothpaste, toothbrushes, first aid supplies and many other necessities to stranded travelers.
A day earlier, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced that about 4,000 Malaysian tourists were stranded in Hat Yai city and many other areas in Songkhla province.
Hat Yai city, a popular tourist destination with international visitors, was declared a disaster zone, along with all districts in the south of the province as heavy rain continued for several days. From November 19 until now, Hat Yai has recorded a total rainfall of 595 mm, exceeding the peak recorded in the 2000 flood (497 mm) and the 2010 flood (516 mm).
Rising floodwaters have cut off many main roads, isolating hotels and leaving tourists stranded. Electricity was cut off in some residential areas for safety reasons, while internet service and water supply systems were disrupted.
People and tourists move domestically because of floods in Hat Yai district on November 23. Image: Reuters
On November 24, Thailand announced that it had coordinated with foreign embassies, businesses, hotels and local authorities to search for stranded tourists and bring them to safety.
Chairman of the Hatyai-Songkhla Hotel Association, Mr. Sitthipong Sitthiprapha, said the government has provided food and arranged boats to assist tourists. Large trucks from the army and the Royal Irrigation Department were also mobilized.
The Malaysian Consulate General in Songkhla recommends that all Malaysian citizens planning to travel or work in southern Thailand should postpone their trips, due to prolonged heavy rain and floods affecting many areas.
Passengers were stranded at Hat Yai airport on the night of November 23. Image: Hat Yai Airport
Floods caused heavy damage in 637 villages, affecting 10 provinces and 1.5 million people in Thailand. Hat Yai district alone accounts for nearly 243,000 people. Other heavily flooded districts include Na Mom and Rattaphum. The remaining flooded provinces include Surat Thani, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phatthalung, Satun, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.