Photo: DDPMNews

 

A major monsoon trough, combined with a low-pressure cell, has caused severe flooding across Southern Thailand since November 19, impacting ten provinces. As reported by the Royal Irrigation Department’s Smart Water Operation Centre, the areas most affected include Chumphon, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Rainfall over a 24-hour period ranged from 300 to 500 millimeters, leading to extensive inundation.

 

This weather event is marked by historic rainfall in Songkhla Province, particularly in Hat Yai District, where 335 millimeters fell on November 21, the heaviest in 300 years. Over a span of three days from November 19 to 21, the region experienced 630 millimeters of rain, surpassing the 428 millimeters recorded during the 2010 floods. Currently, floodwaters in Hat Yai Municipality are between 0.50 to 2.50 meters deep.

 

Rivers and canals have risen rapidly, with several waterways, including Khlong Wat and Khlong U-Tapao, overflowing. The Phuminat Damri Canal (Drainage Canal R.1), a vital infrastructure project, has played a crucial role in diverting water to Songkhla Lake. Despite rainfall exceeding the canal's design capacity, its ability to handle 1,200 cubic meters per second has notably reduced water levels in downtown Hat Yai.

 

In response, the Royal Irrigation Department has deployed 32 water pumps and 14 water propulsion units to increase drainage. Officials are now preparing to boost pumping efforts as river levels decrease. Meteorologists have noted a decline in rainfall intensity, suggesting that if there is no additional significant rain, the flooding situation could normalize within three to five days, reported The Thaiger.

 

Key Takeaways

• Ten provinces in Southern Thailand suffer historic flooding due to a monsoon.
• Hat Yai records the heaviest rainfall in 300 years at 335 millimeters in one day.
• Infrastructure like Canal R.1 helps mitigate the impact, but challenges remain.

 

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-11-24

 

 

 

They can't know 300 years ago there was no weather forecast and even the archives in Thailand are almost gone as almost nothing is kept...

So when will they build proper drainage lines as this is happening annually ? 

If the land is flat and water flows downhill there is almost nowhere for the water to go?

6 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

So when will they build proper drainage lines as this is happening annually ? 

They have. After the 2010 flood they completed the R1 canal. When two years later that reached capacity they spent 5 years tripling its capacity. They've done much to improve water management, but the city has grown significantly over the last 15 years and new development means more hard surfaces and run off and fewer soak aways. Flooding on this scale isn't an annual event, but it's becoming more frequent. With city development, climate change and the resultant increasing frequency of extreme weather events the city is hard pressed to keep up. There is a need to divert water from Koh Hong and the east of the city into a new eastern relief canal. This year's flooding will hopefully force that development. In general Hat Yai is a well managed city.

 

Meanwhile I'm stuck in Bangkok, unable to return home from a work trip to Laos. My wife and family are at home in Hat Yai, ground floor flooded with no electricity for a third night. Water in the house is 0.5m deep and it's 2m deep in the Soi. Thankfully it's a 4 storey shop house. Hoping the rain continues to ease and water levels fall.

@Stocky  The trains are running to Thung Song. After that I dont know about road travel.

At least you'd be closer to home. Thung Song not flooded.

 

What would happen to someone whose visa is expiring and cant get to Malaysia?

14 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

So when will they build proper drainage lines as this is happening annually ? 

The previous King already did this in Chumphon. So i seriously doubt the rain affect many places. 

8 hours ago, Stocky said:

They have. After the 2010 flood they completed the R1 canal. When two years later that reached capacity they spent 5 years tripling its capacity. They've done much to improve water management, but the city has grown significantly over the last 15 years and new development means more hard surfaces and run off and fewer soak aways. Flooding on this scale isn't an annual event, but it's becoming more frequent. With city development, climate change and the resultant increasing frequency of extreme weather events the city is hard pressed to keep up. There is a need to divert water from Koh Hong and the east of the city into a new eastern relief canal. This year's flooding will hopefully force that development. In general Hat Yai is a well managed city.

 

Meanwhile I'm stuck in Bangkok, unable to return home from a work trip to Laos. My wife and family are at home in Hat Yai, ground floor flooded with no electricity for a third night. Water in the house is 0.5m deep and it's 2m deep in the Soi. Thankfully it's a 4 storey shop house. Hoping the rain continues to ease and water levels fall.

Thanks for the informative summary. Makes a nice change from some of the knee jerk trite responses seen on here.  Best of luck. 

15 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

So when will they build proper drainage lines as this is happening annually ? 

 

Scientists have found climate change is not just increasing the severity of extreme weather, it is interrupting the natural patterns, causing wild swings between dry and wet extremes. California has seen this "weather whiplash" in recent years where atmospheric river storms cause destructive floods one year and extreme drought causing water shortages the next.

 

Many deniers will say I am not responsible, I have not contributed to these problems, if they exist at all, and nothing that I do could possibly have an effect on some place as large as the earth or it's vast oceans.

 

So stop picking on me and stop asking me to take responsibility, because I won't. Plastic is not harmful and I won't make any attempt to cut down on my use of it. Gas vehicles are not harmful and therefore I will make no attempt to drive one that consumes less gas, or to use a bicycle, or even a motorbike. I like gas guzzlers, so again I ask please leave me alone. 

 

 

 

42 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Many deniers will say I am not responsible, I have not contributed to these problems, if they exist at all, and nothing that I do could possibly have an effect on some place as large as the earth or it's vast oceans.

 

So stop picking on me and stop asking me to take responsibility, because I won't. Plastic is not harmful and I won't make any attempt to cut down on my use of it. Gas vehicles are not harmful and therefore I will make no attempt to drive one that consumes less gas, or to use a bicycle, or even a motorbike. I like gas guzzlers, so again I ask please leave me alone. 

 

 

Exactly! Those who believe that CO2 emission from the use of fossil fuels will destroy our planet, should not use them. They should not travel in airplanes or ships which use fossil fuels. They should not use any vehicles which need fossil fuels. They should not even buy Electric Vehicles if it is known that their construction, and the mining of essential minerals for batteries, has involved significant use of fossil fuels.

 

They should show by example how each individual can live without the burning of fossil fuels.  
 

Yesterday a huge surge of flood waters from Sadao saw water levels in Hat Yai rise to record levels. The latest update from home, water in the house now 2m and threatening the 2nd floor. Family have drinking water but are running low on food.  There was an SMS sent yesterday telling people to evacuate, but no guidance on to where or how; given water in the Soi is now over 3m evacuation without a boat is impossible. 

 

I do hope the government mobilises the forces and funds necessary to get food and water to those that can shelter in place and evacuate those who can't.

 

Great, I just saw on the news that they've appointed the heroin smuggler to head up the flood relief programme, and sending the aircraft carrier!

 

My wife will be overjoyed.

1 hour ago, VincentRJ said:

 

Exactly! Those who believe that CO2 emission from the use of fossil fuels will destroy our planet, should not use them. They should not travel in airplanes or ships which use fossil fuels. They should not use any vehicles which need fossil fuels. They should not even buy Electric Vehicles if it is known that their construction, and the mining of essential minerals for batteries, has involved significant use of fossil fuels.

 

They should show by example how each individual can live without the burning of fossil fuels.  
 

Yours is an interesting statement, but it's fairly impractical in terms of our day-to-day lives. What would be more practical would be a solution to excessive plastic consumption which is leading to staggering amounts of environmental degradation. 

 

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can.

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away.

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing.

 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference.

 

There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

300 years ? Maybe 30.

I can remember HatYai was flooded, and Nakhon Si less than 18 years ago.

2 minutes ago, FlorC said:

300 years ? Maybe 30.

I can remember HatYai was flooded, and Nakhon Si less than 18 years ago.

I think the severity of this flood trumps all other floods that came before. I haven't been in Thailand long enough to remember the previous large flood in 2015, but my guess is that this one is way more devastating.

6 hours ago, my friend I said:

@Stocky  The trains are running to Thung Song. After that I dont know about road travel.

At least you'd be closer to home. Thung Song not flooded.

 

What would happen to someone whose visa is expiring and cant get to Malaysia?

Hat Yai airport is open, but it's very difficult getting into town.

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Yours is an interesting statement, but it's fairly impractical in terms of our day-to-day lives. What would be more practical would be a solution to excessive plastic consumption which is leading to staggering amounts of environmental degradation. 

 

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can.

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away.

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing.

 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference.

 

There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

The problem for me is, in France and Thailand, is the tap water. 3 years ago I caught a really bad gut infection from dirty water in France. After heavy rains  , it made the news and everyone was obliged to buy water in plastic bottles. I was on strong antibiotics for 3 months. 
It’s becoming very obvious there’s a problem. So unfortunately the plastic bottles remain as many are afraid of our water supplies. Thailands pipes are very old and got knows what poison elements are in there.  
 

46 minutes ago, swissbie said:

Hat Yai airport is open, but it's very difficult getting into town.

Indeed.

I tried numerous drivers, even a couple with 4x4, but none would pick me up and bring me into town on Saturday when I was due to fly in. We decided better I stay in Bangkok than end up stranded at the airport; wasn't expecting it to be a biblical event.

5 minutes ago, Stocky said:

wasn't expecting it to be a biblical event.

'Tis the season...

20 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

So when will they build proper drainage lines as this is happening annually ? 

300 years from now.

20 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

They can't know 300 years ago there was no weather forecast and even the archives in Thailand are almost gone as almost nothing is kept...

Perhaps there are scientific methods where major climate events can be detected and dated without human records.

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Perhaps there are scientific methods where major climate events can be detected and dated without human records.

Tree rings and sediment record etc. 

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Yours is an interesting statement, but it's fairly impractical in terms of our day-to-day lives. What would be more practical would be a solution to excessive plastic consumption which is leading to staggering amounts of environmental degradation. 

 

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can.

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away.

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing.

 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference.

 

There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

Virtual signal much? 

23 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

They can't know 300 years ago there was no weather forecast and even the archives in Thailand are almost gone as almost nothing is kept...

Could be 600 years...! LOL

3 hours ago, geisha said:

The problem for me is, in France and Thailand, is the tap water. 3 years ago I caught a really bad gut infection from dirty water in France. After heavy rains  , it made the news and everyone was obliged to buy water in plastic bottles. I was on strong antibiotics for 3 months. 
It’s becoming very obvious there’s a problem. So unfortunately the plastic bottles remain as many are afraid of our water supplies. Thailands pipes are very old and got knows what poison elements are in there.  
 

The 20 L bottles that are widely available from the local water purification centers are at least as pure as the water that we're getting in plastic bottles, so there's really no excuse to be a plastic addict. 

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Just made the France 24 tv news.

I received some information from a Thai colleague but the numbers unsurprisingly seem constantly engaged. The website is heartbreaking, so many people seeking help. Latest news from the wife is water levels dropped by a metre overnight.

 

https://jitasa.care

 

 

 

[Translation]

 

One problem for some families affected by flooding in the South is that they are stuck in their homes and cannot get out. There are sick people, the elderly, and young children who need food and medicine.

 

You can call the military unit as follows:

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Center, Military District 42

 

074-232145-8

098-223-3364

061-586-5574

074 58 6685

098 2233 364

061 586 5574

074 23 2145-8

 

Or provide information on the jitasa.care platform.

 

(If any information is incorrect or has additional information, or if there is another way, please inform us so that we can correct it.)

 

For those whose communication devices have also been disrupted, if relatives cannot be contacted, they should inform the authorities themselves as a precaution.

Many people from many parties are trying to help. I have friends from the south who are helping send a team of people to help by boat. If the people affected by the disaster hear this news, please be patient.

 

Watching tv it seems water level has dropped quite a lot and not much rain today.

Hopefully a better day tomorrow.

News from home this morning, the house is above water whilst the Soi still has half a metre. Weather forecast suggests no rain for the next five days.