Thai Catholic Church Mobilises Emergency Aid as Record Floods Overwhelm Hat Yai
Severe flooding across southern Thailand has left all sixteen districts of Songkhla Province declared disaster zones, affecting more than 465,000 people. Nationwide, over 2.1 million residents across nine provinces have been impacted, with thirteen deaths reported.
In Hat Yai, floodwaters surged overnight on 26 November, submerging neighbourhoods, disrupting hospitals, and cutting power and communication lines. Officials say some areas are now under as much as two metres of water. The governor has ordered mass evacuations as the province faces its worst flooding in 25 years.
Tourists, including many Malaysian visitors, remain stranded in hotels and at Hat Yai Airport due to impassable roads and continued heavy rainfall.
Responding to the crisis, Bishop Paul Trairong Multree of Surat Thani Diocese has launched an emergency Church-led relief operation with COERR. Immediate aid includes drinking water, food, medical support, and the establishment of a central kitchen providing meals for affected communities. Supplies from Bangkok and other dioceses are on the way.
In Bangkok, clergy and laypeople have begun collecting donations, with urgent appeals for essentials such as water, food, medicines, nappies, raincoats, and fully charged power banks.
Authorities warn that the southern region remains in a critical state, and the coming days will be decisive as rescue teams race against time to reach those still trapped by rising floodwaters.
