We are still flooded up here in Ranot, Songkhla. It hasn't rained in days, but most of the isthmus along the coast is still swamped. We have to use our little boat (see pic) to get out of the soi. 

Fortunately, we still have power and Internet...The water recession is painfully slow and the water quality is increasingly bad due to the sewage situation. The situation here hasn't been as catastrophic as what happened in Hat Yai, but it is certainly going to take much longer for the water here to subside since all of that water has to flow through Songkhla Lake before it eventually finds the sea. They have deployed several 'water pushing' machines along the main canal to try and enhance drainage, but I am quite skeptical about that. 

 

To be honest, the flooding here in 2016 and 2017 was worse, but it didn't last as long. That was caused because of the project to widen Rt408 along the coast with almost total disregard for the drainage. 

I think they learned something from that because they built a new drainage canal at Sanamchai (Sathingphra District) that has a pumping station, which I am sure is helping. 

 

Most of the coastline in Ranot, which had nice beaches when I moved here 12 years ago, is now ruined by seawalls. I am sure these are also inhibiting drainage -- how could they not? -- but I have never seen it mentioned anywhere in the Thai media, which is a shame. 

 

Ranot was under water 100 years ago and sometimes it seems like the government is spending untold billions of baht to try to get us back there. 

 

Anyway, I hope all is well and look forward to reports from other readers about the situation on their home turf -- or what's left of it. 

 

Flood water has left most of Hat Yai, just a few low lying areas that remain wet. The city is a mess, the ground floor of nearly every home and business is trashed, and for some the second floor too. Many roads remain closed un-navigable for dead cars. Near the R1 relief canal many single storey houses were simply washed away, you can see evidence of foundations and bits of roofing zinc stuck in trees. There are mountains of ruined household goods and possessions piled up awaiting clearance along every street. Plus the 'mud' which is everywhere and coats everything that was submerged.

 

We have power, and internet, but still no running water, like most of Hat Yai. The water treatment plant which is beside the U-Ta-Phao river was submerged and badly damaged, there is a team of engineers working to get the plant fully operational, they hope within 10 days. In the meantime they said there would be water tankers, but we haven't seen any.

 

There's food to be had, though little choice, the morning market is busy and sells out quickly, however, the food carts magically appear here in Hat Yai Nai at dusk.

 

They are aiming to clear the city of rubbish by December 10th according to an article in the Bangkok Post today. Meanwhile Anutin is telling residents to register for the Bht9,000 compensation payment per household - don't spend it all at once! Beyond that the living can apply for Bht100,000 bank loan, interest free for 6 months, whilst the dead get Bht 2 million - I'm sure that makes them very happy.

 

On the death toll, currently claimed officially to be 65, Songkhla native Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn is claiming the death toll across the South is already over 1,000, and that the government is guilty of massaging the figures by not including flood related deaths, like people dying because they couldn't get dialysis, or were electrocuted in flood waters, for example. The government and Anutin's standing is now so low here that the Bangkok Post reports southern voters are once again favouring Abhisit "Mark" Vejjajiva and the Democrats.

 

 

During the flood I met an elderly couple who didn't speak Thai at all and only a bit of english.

They wanted to get to Malaysia because their visa was expiring and they had heard about over staying and possibility of prison.

We couldn't talk them out of going. It was flooded in Malaysia then also.

We put them on the train to Phattalung which was the last stop then. And still is.

We gave them directions including in Thai writing but we had no idea if the usual options were available.

 

All the government had to do was announce the amnesty for over stay a few days earlier and they could have waited here until today.

Thailand supposedly a tourist friendly destination.

8 hours ago, Stocky said:

Flood water has left most of Hat Yai, just a few low lying areas that remain wet. The city is a mess, the ground floor of nearly every home and business is trashed, and for some the second floor too. Many roads remain closed un-navigable for dead cars. Near the R1 relief canal many single storey houses were simply washed away, you can see evidence of foundations and bits of roofing zinc stuck in trees. There are mountains of ruined household goods and possessions piled up awaiting clearance along every street. Plus the 'mud' which is everywhere and coats everything that was submerged.

 

We have power, and internet, but still no running water, like most of Hat Yai. The water treatment plant which is beside the U-Ta-Phao river was submerged and badly damaged, there is a team of engineers working to get the plant fully operational, they hope within 10 days. In the meantime they said there would be water tankers, but we haven't seen any.

 

There's food to be had, though little choice, the morning market is busy and sells out quickly, however, the food carts magically appear here in Hat Yai Nai at dusk.

 

They are aiming to clear the city of rubbish by December 10th according to an article in the Bangkok Post today. Meanwhile Anutin is telling residents to register for the Bht9,000 compensation payment per household - don't spend it all at once! Beyond that the living can apply for Bht100,000 bank loan, interest free for 6 months, whilst the dead get Bht 2 million - I'm sure that makes them very happy.

 

On the death toll, currently claimed officially to be 65, Songkhla native Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn is claiming the death toll across the South is already over 1,000, and that the government is guilty of massaging the figures by not including flood related deaths, like people dying because they couldn't get dialysis, or were electrocuted in flood waters, for example. The government and Anutin's standing is now so low here that the Bangkok Post reports southern voters are once again favouring Abhisit "Mark" Vejjajiva and the Democrats.

 

 

Thanks Stocky. I saw a report that some municipal water could be available by 3 December, so I hope that is true...

23 minutes ago, phuketsub said:

Thanks Stocky. I saw a report that some municipal water could be available by 3 December, so I hope that is true...

Water came back this afternoon, but the pressure is miserable and insufficient to fill the roof tanks. So it's buckets from the ground floor tap, better than nothing. But the mud gets into every nook and cranny and marks the walls, we've several days work ahead.

They've now cleared the rubbish from the Soi, and we had fire trucks hose the street down this morning. But as people resume clearing out sodden rooms the rubbish piles are building up again.

Where are they dumping the rubbish etc? Saw on the Thai news about rotten food etc getting dumped where people still live, they said the stench was overwhelming 

53 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Where are they dumping the rubbish etc? Saw on the Thai news about rotten food etc getting dumped where people still live, they said the stench was overwhelming 

Thankfully not near us.

Some will go to the Hat Yai incinerator, a 6.5 MW power station, that's out near the airport and there are housing estates near it. There's a sorting and recycling centre there, plus several dumps. There's a waste dump in a gravel pit near Khuan Lang to the NW of Hat Yai, plus a waste dump near the coast at Ko Taeo.

19 hours ago, Stocky said:

Water came back this afternoon, but the pressure is miserable and insufficient to fill the roof tanks. So it's buckets from the ground floor tap, better than nothing. But the mud gets into every nook and cranny and marks the walls, we've several days work ahead.

It's a step in the right direction...the floodwater continues to lower up here, and most of the sois in my neighborhood are still flooded...and the water is starting to smell really bad. 

On 12/1/2025 at 3:01 PM, Stocky said:

Flood water has left most of Hat Yai, just a few low lying areas that remain wet. The city is a mess, the ground floor of nearly every home and business is trashed, and for some the second floor too. Many roads remain closed un-navigable for dead cars. Near the R1 relief canal many single storey houses were simply washed away, you can see evidence of foundations and bits of roofing zinc stuck in trees. There are mountains of ruined household goods and possessions piled up awaiting clearance along every street. Plus the 'mud' which is everywhere and coats everything that was submerged.

 

We have power, and internet, but still no running water, like most of Hat Yai. The water treatment plant which is beside the U-Ta-Phao river was submerged and badly damaged, there is a team of engineers working to get the plant fully operational, they hope within 10 days. In the meantime they said there would be water tankers, but we haven't seen any.

 

There's food to be had, though little choice, the morning market is busy and sells out quickly, however, the food carts magically appear here in Hat Yai Nai at dusk.

 

They are aiming to clear the city of rubbish by December 10th according to an article in the Bangkok Post today. Meanwhile Anutin is telling residents to register for the Bht9,000 compensation payment per household - don't spend it all at once! Beyond that the living can apply for Bht100,000 bank loan, interest free for 6 months, whilst the dead get Bht 2 million - I'm sure that makes them very happy.

 

On the death toll, currently claimed officially to be 65, Songkhla native Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn is claiming the death toll across the South is already over 1,000, and that the government is guilty of massaging the figures by not including flood related deaths, like people dying because they couldn't get dialysis, or were electrocuted in flood waters, for example. The government and Anutin's standing is now so low here that the Bangkok Post reports southern voters are once again favouring Abhisit "Mark" Vejjajiva and the Democrats.

 

 

Good luck. The best massaman I ever had was in Hat Yai.

The situation here in Ranot is improving as yet another sunny day helps lower the water table, but man, it literally smells like *hit. 

 

Our home and parking lot is now above the water table, but we still need to slog our way down the soi to get out to the main road where it is not flooded. All the major schools here are still closed/flooded, as is our little tutoring school. I guess it comes as little surprise since the whole area was below sea level 100 years ago. 

 

The one part that makes me seethe, however, is that nobody is talking about the retarded seawalls along the coastline. 

 

Anyway, just got to ride it out. At least I'll get some exercise moving all the stuff back downstairs. 

 

According to the TMD, for what it's worth: During 4 – 8 Dec, the easterly wave will move pass the Gulf, the South and the Andaman Sea with more rains and isolated heavy rains in the South.

 

Hopefully we won't get re-inundated. 

 

BTW: As a former moderator, I would like to thanks the current moderators for keeping the site free of CamboTrolls that have infested so many other social media sites discussing this topic. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the rain due from Friday will be quite welcome, not only to wash the mud away, but also the dirty air that seems to creeping down from up north, PM2.5 is 19 ug/m³ today which is about 70 AQI.

Just FYI: 

 

 

On 12/1/2025 at 9:22 PM, Stocky said:

Water came back this afternoon, but the pressure is miserable and insufficient to fill the roof tanks. So it's buckets from the ground floor tap, better than nothing. But the mud gets into every nook and cranny and marks the walls, we've several days work ahead.

It's a step in the right direction...the floodwater continues to lower up here, and most of the sois in my neighborhood are still flooded...and the water is starting to smell really bad. 

I am so glad I did my 90-day online before the deluge. 

1 hour ago, phuketsub said:

Just FYI: 

 

 

It's a step in the right direction...the floodwater continues to lower up here, and most of the sois in my neighborhood are still flooded...and the water is starting to smell really bad. 

 

The address is missing the bottom line, this is the Port Immigration Office in Songkhla, Google Maps link below. Thankfully my work trips mean I don't need to do 90 day reports, but the wife is supposed to do the TM30. Never bothered with doing it online before as we live within walking distance of the Hat Yai immigration office. 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/h3zRrJH1neAdpyth6

Just had my booking at Signature hotel cancelled due to “Natural Disaster”.
 

a bit surprised as all of the rooms (and reception) are on L2 & above but not totally surprised given the pictures I’ve seen of GF’s sister’s house 5 min walk away (which is why we stay in this hotel).
 

Oh well, looks like it’s a quick visit to Satun and then off to Ko Lipe for Xmas 😊 

27 minutes ago, SamSpade said:

Just had my booking at Signature hotel cancelled due to “Natural Disaster”.
 

a bit surprised as all of the rooms (and reception) are on L2 & above but not totally surprised given the pictures I’ve seen of GF’s sister’s house 5 min walk away (which is why we stay in this hotel).
 

Oh well, looks like it’s a quick visit to Satun and then off to Ko Lipe for Xmas 😊 

They always put the electricity in the basement.

Our soi is finally dry. 

On 12/3/2025 at 12:12 PM, Stocky said:

I think the rain due from Friday will be quite welcome, not only to wash the mud away, but also the dirty air that seems to creeping down from up north, PM2.5 is 19 ug/m³ today which is about 70 AQI.

Thailand Weather Forecast 06:00 Today To 06:00 Tomorrow

 

Southern (East Coast)

Fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy to very heavy rain in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat Minimum temperature 22–24 °C. Maximum temperature 28–34 °C. Northeasterly winds 15–35 km/hr. Wave height 1–2 meters and above 2 meters in thundershower.

 

It looks like you might get the rinse you need today, Stocky. Our soi here in Ranot is finally dry as well. 

 

33 minutes ago, phuketsub said:

Our soi here in Ranot is finally dry as well. 

That is good news, but has the stink gone? They had teams going round here spraying the rubbish heaps with something yesterday.

Yes, it is a bit better. We did get a downpour in the afternoon, but it actually helped by washing away some of the silty sediment on the streets. Anyway, we took the truck out today for the first time and got the municipal water up and running again as well...plus our little school opens again tomorrow. So things looking up here. 

Schools here remain closed. My granddaughter's school is supposed to reopen Wednesday next week, with school restarting Monday online. Traffic in Hat Yai remains horrendous with the traffic lights still not working. The area around many shopping areas in town are noticeable for the mountains of stinking rubbish. If you're looking for clothes bargains then Kim Yong area and Plaza clothes shops are discounting clothes to Bht20 even Bht10 but you need go wash them yourself!

 

Good news is Hat Village shopping area is open, as is Lotus's 1, Central Festival and Watsadu at the airport junction. Someone also said Big C Extra was now open.

11 hours ago, Stocky said:

Schools here remain closed. My granddaughter's school is supposed to reopen Wednesday next week, with school restarting Monday online. Traffic in Hat Yai remains horrendous with the traffic lights still not working. The area around many shopping areas in town are noticeable for the mountains of stinking rubbish. If you're looking for clothes bargains then Kim Yong area and Plaza clothes shops are discounting clothes to Bht20 even Bht10 but you need go wash them yourself!

 

Good news is Hat Village shopping area is open, as is Lotus's 1, Central Festival and Watsadu at the airport junction. Someone also said Big C Extra was now open.

Most of the schools here plan to re-open Monday, and will force the kids to study on Saturdays to make up for the lost lessons, which means we'll have to close our tutoring school since the students won't be free. The main market road is getting back to normal and despite some torrential rainfall yesterday the water levels continue to recede. 

We took some water and bananas down yesterday.

The part we went to needed a lot of work still.

Some people are very stressed, understandably.

2 hours ago, my friend I said:

We took some water and bananas down yesterday.

The part we went to needed a lot of work still.

Some people are very stressed, understandably.

Are you in Hat Yai? 

 

2 hours ago, phuketsub said:

Are you in Hat Yai? 

 

From other posts I think Phattalung.

 

Strong breeze today, everything seems to be drying out nicely. Traffic lights are still out, so Hat Yai traffic is terrible. PEA turned the power off for an hour yesterday whilst they replaced all the meters in our Soi. There was no bill for November, because the date the reader normal comes the street was under 3m of water, maybe there'll be no bill!

On 12/7/2025 at 11:26 AM, phuketsub said:

Are you in Hat Yai? 

 

Thung Song. Came for a funeral two days before flood.

On 12/7/2025 at 1:39 PM, Stocky said:

maybe there'll be no bill!

I just saw reported in The Nation that Anutin has ordered the waiver of November's electricity bill for all flood victims.

Thanks.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/policy/40059277

1 hour ago, Stocky said:

I just saw reported in The Nation that Anutin has ordered the waiver of November's electricity bill for all flood victims.

Thanks.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/policy/40059277

That might be the end of any interest in the floods with Thailand/Cambodia border dispute moving to a new stage. Plenty of work available for army vehicles in the area we went. Some serious erosion.

Yes it's already old news.

The army hasn't been than heavily involved, a few trucks during the floods, but now the water's gone it's orange municipal vehicles and contractors I see with backhoes and trucks clearing the waste and hosing down the streets.

This English guy got the lower floor of his house flooded and documented lots of it, worth watching. He said he went through the 2010 too and decided to buy in housing project which he told didn't flood. Really big down there from what I can see.

 

https://www.youtube.com/@expatlivinginthailand/videos