Evacuations ordered as heavy rain brings floods to southern Thailand

Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding in 10 provinces in southern Thailand, with Songkhla on the border with Malaysia among the worst affected, authorities reported on Tuesday.

The whole of Songkhla has been declared a disaster area and the evacuation of the population ordered. Disaster control authorities said at least 13 people have died so far.

The local authorities reported that in Songkhla alone, around 465,000 people in 16 districts had been affected by the floods, with more than half of them in Hat Yai, the largest city in southern Thailand.

The Thai military was assisting emergency services in rescue operations.

The Bangkok Post newspaper reported that calls for help were heard from many people. Rescue work was being hampered as most residents could only be reached by boat, it said. Food supplies were said to be running short.

The region has seen record monsoon rainfalls, with authorities estimating that more than 2 million residents are in difficulty as a result of days of flooding. The rain is expected to ease off to some extent only in the next few days.

The Thai Navy announced it was dispatching the HTMS Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier with two helicopters, rescue teams, medical services, a field kitchen, food and drinking water.

The vessel is reported to be capable of producing up to 3,000 meals a day.

Severe flooding has also struck neighbouring Malaysia, where more than 10,000 people are reported to have been displaced.