Eleven provinces in southern Thailand are currently facing floods of varying intensity, with some beginning to recede after several weeks under water, others suffering the consequences of the latest torrential rains.
The provinces most affected in recent days have been Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Chumphon, Ranong and Phatthalung, where authorities on Monday recorded some 128,000 affected households and eight deaths in total, according to the Bangkok Post.
On December 16, the most serious flooding was reported in the provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, including the tourist island of Koh Samui.
Nakhon Si Thammarat recorded as much as 392 mm of rain in 24 hours on Monday, with water levels reaching between 100 and 120 cm in some places.
In the neighboring province of Surat Thani, torrential rains fell all night from Sunday to Monday on the island of Koh Samui, causing heavy flooding in several areas.
Rising waters made several roads impassable on Monday and several schools were closed.
Koh Samui is part of a set of eight districts in Surat Thani province that have been declared disaster areas, according to Thai media ThaiPBS.
Elsewhere in the South, the provinces of Trang, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are also affected, but to a lesser extent.
Relief centers have been set up in several provinces to help residents who were forced to leave their homes during the recession.
The Thai Weather Forecast Center predicts further rainfall in the South, accompanied by strong winds and waves of up to 3 meters in the Gulf of Thailand.
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