Southern Thailand girds for heavy rain, floods

 The Thai prime minister called for disaster-response resources to be ready for immediate deployment following a weather alert of heavy rain.

Bangkok residents making their way through floodwaters in an inflatable pool in Lat Krabang district earlier this week. (EPA Images pic)

BANGKOK:

As heavier rainfall looms over southern Thailand in the coming days, authorities are stepping up preparations and readying personnel, machinery and emergency resources for immediate deployment.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also heads the national disaster command, said rainfall in the south was expected to increase as the weather system moved into the region.

“Authorities should use weather forecasts to identify areas at risk of flash floods, forest run-off and landslides, and ensure that personnel, disaster-response machinery and resources are ready for immediate deployment,” he said.

A nationwide weather advisory was issued yesterday warning of heavy rain between Oct 5 and Oct 10 that could trigger flash floods and landslides in the north and south.

Anutin instructed the department of disaster prevention and mitigation to coordinate with provincial authorities, regional disaster prevention and mitigation centres and relevant agencies to monitor the situation around the clock.

The department was also ordered to ensure personnel, pumps, boats and other emergency equipment were ready, while drawing up plans to deploy additional resources and disaster-response machinery to the south, he said.

Southern Thailand is a major destination for Malaysian tourists, with more than 3.5 million Malaysian visitors recorded in Thailand in 2024. The region was badly affected by severe flooding in November 2025, which reportedly claimed more than 145 lives and affected about 3.54 million people. - FMT