Thai Church launches urgent relief as historic floods devastate Hat Yai

By Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, LiCAS News

Local authorities report that all 16 districts of Songkhla province have been declared disaster zones, with more than 465,000 residents affected. 

The flooding is part of a wider disaster across southern Thailand, where the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation now estimates that about 2.1 million people have been impacted across nine provinces, with 13 confirmed deaths.

Overnight surge submerges vehicles, disrupts hospitals

Early Wednesday, November 26, floodwaters in Hat Yai rose sharply after another night of torrential rain. Several neighborhoods were submerged deep enough to cover cars entirely, while rescue workers struggled to reach stranded families.

Water reportedly entered sections of local hospitals, complicating care for vulnerable patients. Power outages and communication disruptions have been reported in multiple areas.

Officials say the water level has reached depths of up to two meters in some parts of the city.

Worst flooding in 25 years triggers mass evacuation

On Monday, the governor of Songkhla ordered an immediate evacuation of Hat Yai residents to temporary shelters as the province faced its worst flooding in a quarter century. 

Officials cite a convergence of factors: once-in-300-year rainfall, continuous downpours, and heavy runoff from upstream districts.

Tourists remain among those most affected. Many Thai and foreign visitors, including families with children, have been unable to leave the city. 

Some have slept inside Hat Yai Airport for more than three days, unable to travel due to submerged roads. Scores of Malaysian tourists are stranded in hotels without running water and electricity since Saturday.

Hat Yai, a main district of Songkhla province about 900 kilometers south of Bangkok, is the commercial and transportation hub of the South and a major weekend destination for Malaysian travelers.

Catholic Church coordinates emergency response

In response to the worsening crisis, Bishop Paul Trairong Multree of the Diocese of Surat Thani convened an urgent coordination meeting on Tuesday to mobilize Church-led relief operations across the region.

The group outlined an immediate action plan: distribution of safe drinking water, food supplies, medical support, on-site rescue assistance, and the setup of a special central kitchen, including Halal food preparation in collaboration with the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR). Plans also include coordinated delivery of relief packages once floodwater begins to recede.

“Our relief team will get working tomorrow morning immediately with COERR, bringing drinking water and essentials to the people affected,” Bishop Paul Trairong told LiCAS News late Tuesday. He added that additional supplies are expected to arrive soon from Bangkok and other dioceses.

Nationwide appeals for aid grow

In Bangkok, clergy and laypeople have begun mobilizing donations for delivery to the South.

Fr. Chonnapat Sukanate of the Bangkok Archdiocese issued an urgent Facebook appeal, saying: “Normally, I do not collect donations, but flooding in Hat Yai has developed into a severe crisis. I will be going down to Surat Thani Diocese on Thursday with donations of drinking water, instant noodles, powdered milk, diapers, clothes, medicine, raincoats, umbrellas, etc. And most importantly, please bring fully charged power banks that are still in good working condition.”

Southern region remains critical

While flood levels in the North and Central regions have begun to recede, government agencies warn that the South remains in a highly critical state as heavy rainfall continues.

With emergency crews stretched thin and key transport routes cut off, officials caution that the next 48 hours will be decisive for thousands still trapped by rising waters.

As the crisis unfolds, Church-based relief organizations, government agencies, and local volunteers continue to coordinate what many describe as a race against time to reach those most in need.

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