Tens of Thousand Displaced by Flooding in Thailand

Disaster zones declared in southern Thailand amid deadly flooding

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in southern Thailand as severe floods destroy or damage many thousands of homes, killing about a dozen people, and leaving vast tracts of crops spoiled.

Authorities have declared a state of disaster in 8 provinces including Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Surat Thani and Trang.

Hundreds of villages have been evacuated in Narathiwat, reportedly the hardest hit province.

The main reservoir in Tha Chana district had been filled to capacity and was overflowing, sending down a surge of floodwater and prompting warnings about potentially deadly landslides, officials told the Bangkok Post.

Meantime, 3-meter high waves have been pounding the Gulf of Thailand, officials said.

Recent Flood Toll in Thailand

October 2, 2013. Deadly floods affected 32 of Thailand’s 77 provinces killing at least 23 people, affecting 2.85 million others and forcing at least 15,000 people to abandon their homes, said the Thai Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. By October 17, the death toll had climbed to at least 68, and flooding had affected 359 districts in 46 provinces across the north, northeastern and central regions, leaving 230,000 families displaced, the Ministry of Interior reported.