In an unprecedented move today, Songkhla’s governor ordered a mass and immediate evacuation of Hat Yai city residents to shelters, as the worst flooding in the province for 25 years has worsened, due to the influx of runoffs from Sadao district.
Flooding in Hat Yai developed into a severe crisis on Monday morning, as Governor Ratthasart Chidchu issued an urgent order for all residents in Hat Yai district to move immediately to designated safe zones.
The Songkhla Public Relations Office also announced that all 16 districts of Songkhla province have now been declared disaster zones.
The governor emphasised that evacuation must focus on the hardest-hit areas and stressed that the preservation of life comes first.
Continuous heavy rainfall and runoffs have raised water levels at a pace authorities say could surpass the devastation of the 2000 mega-floods.
Emergency shelters, opened to accommodate evacuees, include the Prince of Songkla University International Convention Center, the Songkhla Rajabhat University auditorium and the Royal Thai Navy’s Second Naval Area Command.
Military units, rescue teams and volunteers have joined forces to help evacuate residents cut off by rapidly rising floodwaters. Priority is being given to children, the elderly and the infirm.
Although Hat Yai’s key R.1 drainage canal continues to discharge water into the sea, officials warn that the sheer volume of accumulated rainfall and upstream runoff has overwhelmed waterways.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reports that runoffs from the U-Tapao River basin continue to surge into the city’s business hub. With additional rainfall still covering the district, officials forecast floodwaters could rise to 1.25–1.45 meters by 6am tomorrow.
The province is urging all residents in inundated areas to relocate to temporary shelters immediately and to follow official instructions closely. To alert the public, the DDPM, together with mobile operators AIS, True and NT, issued a mass Cell Broadcast warning, directing all residents of Hat Yai to evacuate.
Emergency assistance can be requested via the DDPM 1784 LINE account, through Line ID @1784DDPM, or by calling the 1784 emergency 24-hour hotline.
Songkhla has experienced continuous heavy rain since November 19, causing widespread flooding, especially in the U-Tapao River basin and the districts of Hat Yai, Rattaphum, Chana, Na Mom and Sadao.
Between November 20 and 23 all 16 districts reported flood-related impacts, affecting 115 sub-districts, 821 villages and 167 communities. According to provincial data, 243,568 households, containing more than 635,000 people, have been affected, with 1,224 people evacuated and one fatality reported.
Meanwhile, the regional meteorological centre warns of continued heavy rainfall through tomorrow, with risks of flash floods, water runoffs and landslides in low-lying and hillside areas. Rain is expected to persist, though slightly less intensely, from until Saturday.
