SÜDTHAILAND, THAILAND – Severe flooding in nine southern provinces of Thailand affected more than 3.5 million people and heavily disrupted daily life across the region, as emergency relief and reconstruction moved ahead under intense pressure.
Scale of the disaster
As of 28 November, areas in the provinces of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat remained under water. According to official figures, 105 districts, 723 subdistricts and more than 5,300 villages were affected.
In total, around 1.2 million households were impacted, underscoring the wide geographic and social reach of the disaster. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DDPM) had earlier reported at least 25 fatalities and several million people affected in the southern provinces.
Mixed situation across provinces
In Surat Thani, seven districts were still flooded, but water levels there were receding. Conditions in Phatthalung also eased across 11 districts, although nearly 190,000 households remained affected. Satun reported falling water levels in seven districts, with about 29,000 households suffering flood damage.
Rising waters in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Trang
The situation was more tense elsewhere, particularly in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Water levels there rose in 22 districts, affecting nearly 240,000 households. In Trang, flooding intensified in nine districts and hit more than 14,000 households.
Severe impact in Songkhla and Pattani
In Songkhla, including the major city of Hat Yai, 16 districts continued to struggle with severe inundation. More than 400,000 households were affected in the province. In Pattani, water levels began to fall in 12 districts, but almost 200,000 households were still impacted.
Worsening conditions in Yala and Narathiwat
The provinces of Yala and Narathiwat reported rising water levels. In Yala, eight districts and nearly 60,000 households were affected. In Narathiwat, conditions deteriorated in 13 districts, with consequences for more than 83,000 households.
Authorities mobilise relief efforts
The DDPM’s director-general Theerapat Kachamat said all relevant agencies had been mobilised to provide rapid assistance.
“We deployed all available resources to support the affected communities and to pave the way back to normality.”
said Theerapat Kachamat, DDPM director-general.
On-the-ground support measures
Measures included the deployment of mobile kitchens in communities to secure food supplies. Authorities also worked with provincial administrations to provide emergency shelters in hotels with functioning water systems. Repair work on damaged water supply networks was accelerated, particularly in Hat Yai, and machinery and volunteers were used to clean affected areas and restore public infrastructure.
Protection, recovery and long-term resilience
Officials said their immediate priorities were protecting residents, restoring essential services and supporting livelihoods in areas where water had already receded. The coordinated response by state agencies was intended to enable the fastest possible recovery while laying the groundwork for long-term resilience against recurring natural disasters in southern Thailand.
The DDPM did not provide updated figures on the number of fatalities on 28 November.