TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Authorities in Thailand are sending helicopters on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, to evacuate critically ill patients from a hospital in the southern city of Hat Yai, which has been devastated by the region’s worst floods in recent years.
The main government hospital, which cares for around 600 patients, including roughly 50 in intensive care, saw its first floor submerged, prompting urgent evacuation measures.
“Today, all intensive care patients will be transported out of Hat Yai Hospital,” said Somrerk Chungsaman, a ministry official, as reported by CNA.
Efforts to reach stranded residents have been challenging. Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said about 20 helicopters and 200 boats are in use, navigating the flooded streets and muddy waters that have inundated residential areas.
Images released on Wednesday showed murky brown floodwaters covering roads and ground floors across Hat Yai.
"Authorities said 33 people have died in seven provinces, with causes including flash floods, electrocution, and drowning," said Thai government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat to reporters, as reported by Al Arabiya.
“The water level is expected to recede in the south,” Siripong added.
Widespread Impact Across Thailand and Malaysia
Flooding has affected nine provinces in Thailand and eight states in neighboring Malaysia for the second consecutive year, forcing nearly 45,000 people to evacuate.
The Thai government declared a state of emergency in Songkhla province on Tuesday following heavy rains that flooded Hat Yai, a key tourist center. In Indonesia, floods and landslides this week have claimed between eight and 13 lives, while Malaysia has reported one death.
Record Rainfall and Hospital Evacuations
Hat Yai received 335 mm of rainfall within a single day last week—the highest in 300 years. Patients, families, and hospital staff, totaling around 2,000 people, are expected to be transported by boat once the waters recede, officials said.
Military helicopters delivered a generator to the hospital, with photos showing equipment being moved to the roof under dark gray skies. Floods across nine Thai provinces have affected more than 980,000 homes and over 2.7 million people, according to the Ministry of Interior.
Thai meteorologists forecast continued heavy rain in several southern provinces, including Songkhla. Relief efforts are being coordinated by the military, which is transporting boats, supplies, and medical personnel to flood-hit areas.
Thailand’s only aircraft carrier, the Chakri Naruebet, has joined the rescue operations, providing air support, medical assistance, and food. Rescue teams have evacuated stranded families, including children and the elderly, from homes submerged in fast-flowing brown water.
Many stranded residents have used social media to request urgent assistance. One post pleaded for help to reach a 53-year-old woman in Hat Yai, whose household supplies included only a bottle of water and two packets of instant noodles.
Over 10,000 people have been evacuated in Songkhla alone, with university campuses converted into temporary shelters. Local authorities have set up food centers capable of distributing up to 20,000 meal boxes daily.
Experts warn that climate change has intensified extreme weather events in Thailand, making floods more severe and unpredictable despite the country’s usual monsoon season from June to September.
Floods in Malaysia Claim One Life
Heavy rains in Malaysia have triggered flooding in eight states, forcing more than 27,000 people into temporary shelters.
One fatality was confirmed in Kelantan when a Toyota Hilux carrying three passengers was swept away by floodwaters in Gua Musang. The victim, an Indonesian citizen identified as Yenni, was traveling with a Thai couple, who survived.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued warnings for thunderstorms across northern states, including Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Perak, through Wednesday. Flooding is common during the northeast monsoon from November to March in Malaysia, home to 34 million people.
Thousands of Malaysian tourists stranded in southern Thailand have been safely located, with over 6,300 returning to Malaysia as of Monday, according to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.
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