Floods in Thailand, Malaysia kill over 30, displace thousands

BANGKOK - Tens of thousands of people in Thailand and neighbouring Malaysia were displaced by widespread flooding, with streets submerged, homes inundated and at least 34 dead, officials said on Wednesday.

The Thai government declared a state of emergency in Songkhla province on Tuesday, with torrential rains since late last week drenching several southern provinces.

An image from Wednesday published by AFP showed murky brown floodwater covering streets and ground floors of residential buildings in Songkhla's tourist hub Hat Yai.

One resident of the city told the Thai public broadcaster that the whole lower level of his building was submerged, with water reaching about three and a half metres (11.5 feet) at its highest point.

"I climbed onto the roof to call for someone to bring us food," the man, identified as Yanyong, told the television channel.

"It's now under a metre, but I still haven't received any help because my house is deep inside the (flooded) area."

Thai government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat told reporters that 33 people have died across seven provinces, including from drowning and electrocution.

Severe flooding has spread to seven southern provinces, home to several million people, according to the disaster prevention and mitigation department.

The flooding since last week has stranded residents and travellers in their homes and hotels, with rescuers using boats, jet skis and military trucks amid high floodwaters.

The military has deployed an aircraft carrier and mobilised helicopters to airlift patients to nearby hospitals, the army said.

More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Songkhla since last week, the province's public relations department said.

University campuses have been converted into shelters for displaced people.

The Songkhla provincial administration said Wednesday that it had set up food centres capable of distributing up to 20,000 food boxes a day to flood victims.

Thailand regularly records heavy rainfall from June to September, but experts say human-induced climate change has intensified extreme weather, making conditions increasingly unpredictable.

STRANDED TOURISTS

In neighbouring Malaysia, flooding from days of heavy rain swept through eight states, with forecasters predicting more rain in the region in the coming days.

More than 27,000 people were evacuated to dozens of temporary shelters this week, with one death recorded in one of the worst-hit states, Kelantan, on the northeastern coast, according to rescue officials.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned that thunderstorms will continue until Wednesday in the northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak.

Floods are an annual phenomenon in the nation of 34 million people due to the northeast monsoon that brings heavy rain from November to March.

Malaysia's foreign ministry on Tuesday said it was monitoring the flooding across the border after thousands of Malaysian holidaymakers were stranded in hotels in southern Thailand last week.

"Most of the affected Malaysians had been staying in multi-storey hotels and have been accounted for," the ministry said in a statement.

As of Monday, "more than 6,300 Malaysians have safely crossed the border out of Thailand and safely arrived in Malaysia".