BANGKOK, THAILAND – At least 33 people were killed and more than 2.7 million affected after severe floods swept across southern Thailand, triggering an emergency declaration and sparking fierce criticism of the government’s response.
Dozens dead, over a million households hit
Officials said the floods in 12 southern provinces had caused at least 33 deaths since the weekend, after days of intense rainfall left homes submerged and people stranded on rooftops. Around 1 million households and more than 2.7 million people were affected, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, which reported that accumulated rainfall had begun to ease by Wednesday even as warnings for heavy rain and flash floods remained in place.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Songkhla province, which includes the southern hub of Hat Yai, citing the “unprecedented severity” of the flooding and the widespread damage it had caused.
Hat Yai under water, hospital at risk
Large parts of Hat Yai were under water, with roads impassable and low-rise buildings and cars nearly submerged, trapping thousands of residents and visitors. Rescue teams in flat-bottomed boats hauled food baskets up to people sheltering on higher floors as ground-level access was cut off.
Drone footage broadcast by Thai PBS showed a five-member family in Hat Yai being rescued on Tuesday from the roof of their almost completely flooded home, after breaking through the large grey roof to escape the rising water before emergency workers brought them onto a rescue boat.
Critical situation at Hat Yai Hospital
The situation at Hat Yai Hospital was particularly critical, said Health Minister Pattana Promphat on Wednesday, warning that power supplies to the facility could be cut because of high water levels. About 50 patients requiring intubation were airlifted by army helicopters to other hospitals, and around 600 additional patients were expected to be evacuated along with hospital staff.
The Health Ministry said it would deploy a mental-health team to support medical personnel and members of the public dealing with stress from the disaster.
Navy carrier and air force base mobilised
The Royal Thai Navy’s only aircraft carrier, HTMS Chakri Naruebet, sailed from its berth in eastern Thailand to serve as an offshore command centre for relief operations. The air force base at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok was designated as a staging area for transporting relief supplies to affected areas, the government said.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) acknowledged that the prolonged weather conditions in parts of the south could worry travellers, noting that while many destinations continued to offer normal tourism experiences, several provinces were still reporting heavy rain, flash floods and strong waves, leading to temporary adjustments in some transport services and the safety-related closure of selected natural attractions.
Tourism crisis unit activated, travel caution urged
As part of the national response, TAT activated the Tourism Crisis Monitoring Centre (TCMC) to strengthen coordination with provincial authorities, consulates and tourism partners. The centre was tasked with supporting relief efforts for affected travellers, verifying travel information and ensuring timely communication as conditions evolved.
Travellers were urged to exercise caution in flooded areas, near strong waves and on routes that could be temporarily restricted, to allow extra travel time to airports, piers and bus terminals, and to follow local instructions and check official updates regularly.
Songkhla and Hat Yai hardest hit
In Songkhla, severe flooding continued in central Hat Yai and surrounding commercial areas, with evacuations under way to designated shelters. Road access remained limited, leaving many tourists unable to travel because routes were impassable.
Hat Yai Airport remained open with some flight delays, while disruptions to ground transport continued and taxi and minibus services were temporarily suspended. The Ton Nga Chang Waterfall was closed for safety reasons, but the Sadao border checkpoint remained open as usual for inbound and outbound travellers.
Floods and closures across Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang and Satun
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, floods were reported in several districts, with drainage efforts under way and emergency declarations issued in 12 districts, while runoff remained a problem in multiple areas. Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport operated normally, although travellers were advised to arrive early, and some roads were only partially accessible via alternative routes.
In Trang, heavy rainfall affected several districts, prompting the closure of the Khao Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary and Tham Le Khao Kob, and the suspension of bus services to Satun and Hat Yai. Operations at Trang Airport continued as normal, with passengers asked to arrive 2–3 hours before departure, while train services on the Trang–Bangkok route were suspended.
Severe disruption in Satun, Phatthalung and deep South
In Satun, floods hit seven districts, cutting major transport routes linking the province with Songkhla and Trang. Attractions including Phu Pha Phet Cave, Le Stegodon Cave, Wang Sai Thong Waterfall, hot springs and all waterfall-based natural sites were closed, along with Tarutao National Marine Park and the Thale Ban area, while the Wang Prachan border checkpoint stayed open and public bus services were temporarily suspended.
In Phatthalung, strong and prolonged rainfall affected 11 districts, with rising water levels in low-lying areas and heavy runoff in several districts. Some road sections, including parts of Phetkasem Road, were temporarily closed, the Thai Fight event was postponed due to weather, and selected attractions in national parks were shut temporarily for safety.
Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani face transport breakdowns
In Narathiwat and Yala, multiple interprovincial bus routes were suspended and rail services halted on affected sections of track, although Narathiwat Airport continued to operate normally with limited road access for small vehicles. Betong Airport and the Betong border checkpoint remained open, but several national parks and community-based tourism sites were temporarily closed and all water activities, including rafting and mangrove boat tours, were suspended, leaving some travellers stranded by local transport disruptions.
In Pattani, floods hit 12 districts, with particularly severe conditions in urban areas. Attractions including Sai Khao Waterfall National Park were closed, public bus services were suspended and all tourism activities were paused, with some tourists confined to their accommodation because roads were impassable.
Phuket, Krabi and Gulf islands largely unaffected
Despite localised flooding in parts of the south, major destinations such as Phuket, Ranong and Krabi reported no flooding, with attractions, transport services and airports operating as usual. Tourism activities, including marine excursions and land-based experiences, remained available.
Phang-nga saw only minimal impact, with all destinations accessible and tourism services running normally, aside from temporary closures of waterfall attractions in Khao Lampi–Hat Thai Mueang National Park and Sa Nang Manora Forest Park.
Surat Thani and island ferries continue operations
Surat Thani continued to receive visitors, and while floods were reported in some districts, tourism attractions were not affected; major sites such as waterfalls, caves and trekking areas remained open with heightened safety monitoring. Surat Thani Airport operated normally.
Tourism activities on Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao also continued as usual. Ferry services operated with some weather-related adjustments: Seatran Discovery ran normally, Lomprayah High-Speed Ferries operated as usual, while some speedboat services on certain routes were temporarily suspended and Songserm services were also suspended.
Railway and bus services curtailed
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) reported ongoing flooding along parts of the Southern Railway Line, limiting access for engineering teams, and said monitoring was continuous with repair work to be accelerated once water levels receded. For passenger safety, SRT adjusted origin–destination routes for eight trains and suspended 22 long-distance and local trains from 25 November 2025 until conditions improved.
The state-owned Transport Company Limited suspended six routes from 25 November because of flooding, including Bangkok–Trang–Satun, Bangkok–Yala, Bangkok–Hat Yai, Bangkok–Pattani and Bangkok–Su-ngai Kolok.
Meteorological office under fire over ‘fake news’ row
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) faced a public backlash after accusing a private weather-alert Facebook page of spreading fake news about “major flooding” in southern Thailand, only for the floods to occur largely as predicted. The page ที‘ ลมฟ้าอากาศ, run by an anonymous meteorologist, had issued a warning on 18 November forecasting severe flooding in the south.
It shared a rainfall forecast map with a caption stating:
“Warning! A major flood! The central and lower east coast of southern Thailand, from Chumphon to Narathiwat, will see accumulated rainfall of over 1,000 millimetres from today (18 November) over the next 10 days. There will be continuous heavy rain for 3 to 5 days from 20 to 24 November.”
said ที‘ ลมฟ้าอากาศ, meteorologist operating a private Facebook weather page.
The page also warned that rainfall would be two to three times higher than last year.
Government anti-fake news unit criticised
Initially, the page described the situation as “millennial rain”, but later removed the term to avoid panic after the government’s Anti-Fake News Centre accused it of spreading misinformation. The centre’s page shared the post from ที‘ ลมฟ้าอากาศ and labelled the information as fake news.
While officials reassured the public, many locals did not prepare for the massive floods that hit southern provinces, particularly Hat Yai district in Songkhla, from 24 November onward. As conditions worsened, many social media users revisited the earlier warning and questioned why authorities had branded it fake news, criticising officials for downplaying the risk and failing to warn the public properly.
PM Anutin faces anger over delayed response
The severe flooding crisis in Hat Yai, Songkhla, became the most critical disaster the area had ever faced, prompting Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to invoke special emergency laws to tackle the situation. Confidence in Anutin’s government was badly shaken amid growing concern over what was widely seen as a delayed response to the crisis.
This raised questions over whether the government had been poorly prepared for such a large-scale disaster as the situation continued to deteriorate, with critics directly asking Anutin whether the administration’s lack of readiness was the main reason the floods escalated so severely. The slow reaction was portrayed as mere patching of problems without addressing the underlying causes.
Political stakes ahead of 2026 elections
The crisis struck at a time when the government, seen by some as complacent after several relatively calm years, was perceived as unprepared, partly due to expectations of an early election and a possible dissolution of the House of Representatives. Political motives appeared to have overshadowed the immediate needs of disaster response.
When the flooding hit, the effectiveness of the government machinery and its leadership were tested, and it became apparent that Anutin’s crisis management had not been swift enough. The public also criticised image-focused actions, such as the prime minister visiting the area and cooking for the public during a critical period, which many saw as a political stunt rather than effective crisis management.
This event was seen as a potentially major political blow for Anutin, particularly among flood victims and the wider population, exposing him to attacks in the run-up to the 2026 elections.