Catastrophic flooding has gripped southern Thailand, resulting in the confirmed deaths of at least 33 people and forcing desperate families to seek refuge on their rooftops as waters submerged their homes.
A Region Submerged
According to officials, the severe flooding, which began over the weekend, has now impacted an estimated 1 million households and more than 2.7 million people across 12 provinces. The disaster was triggered by intense and persistent rainfall, creating a landscape of flat, brown water where streets and low-lying buildings once stood.
While the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation noted that accumulated rainfall began to decrease on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, the threat is far from over. The Meteorological Department maintained a warning for heavy rains and potential flash flooding throughout the region.
Emergency Response in Action
In response to the scale of the disaster, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared a state of emergency for Songkhla province on Tuesday. He cited the "unprecedented severity" of the flooding, which has caused extensive damage. The province includes Hat Yai, the south's largest city, where streets became impassable and thousands were trapped.
Dramatic drone footage from Thai PBS broadcast on Tuesday captured the perilous situation, showing a family of five being rescued from the rooftop of their nearly submerged house in Hat Yai. The family, which included an elderly woman, had to smash through their grey roof to be spotted by emergency workers, who then navigated a lifeboat to the edge of the slanted roof to save them.
Rescue teams in flat-bottom boats have been navigating the flooded urban areas, hoisting food baskets to residents stranded on higher floors. The situation at Hat Yai Hospital was described as especially critical by Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat. With fears that the facility's electricity could be cut off, about 50 patients requiring intubation were airlifted to safety by army helicopters. Plans are underway to evacuate a further 600 patients along with hospital staff.
National Mobilisation for Relief
The Thai government has initiated a major relief operation. In a significant move, the Thai navy’s sole aircraft carrier, the HTMS Chakri Naruebet, has sailed from its berth in eastern Thailand to serve as an offshore command centre for the coordinated effort.
Additionally, the air force base at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport will act as a central staging area for flying essential supplies into the worst-affected areas. Recognising the psychological toll of the disaster, the Public Health Ministry also announced it would deploy a mental health team to assist both medical personnel and the public dealing with stress and trauma.
