2010 floods in Thailand and north Malaysia

Although flooding is a common and annual occurrence in this part of the world, a combination of inadequate drainage and higher than average rainfall in the month of October and November 2010 which caught the nation off guard and led to disaster.

[4] The southern parts of the nation were in bigger trouble as a tropical depression that was to become Cyclone Jal hit the country, increasing the impact of floods by packing strong winds of about 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) with it.

[22] Exports of electronic goods and automotive parts to Malaysia have been partially suspended as the Sadao border checkpoint has been closed because Hat Yai has been hard hit by flooding as the logistics operators explained.

The shipments of consumer goods, raw materials, and petrol between Bangkok and the South have been delayed by many hours, raising concerns that shortages may occur if a new storm hits the region in the next few days.

[23] Prakit Chinamourphong, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), stated that it was too early to evaluate tourism damage from the floods as many areas of the town could not be reached or contacted.

Rising waters began to inundate Hat Yai, a city of more than 150,000 in Songkhla province, late Monday after days of heavy downpours, affecting tens of thousands of people, possibly including foreign tourists.

[31] In Chumphon, a navy team was reported to have rescued nine people, including four children, trapped in a house near a dam construction site in tambon Suan Taeng of Lamae district.

[32] The government's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said 122 people have died and nearly 6 million residents in 39 provinces in the northern, central, eastern, and northeastern regions had been affected by two weeks of heavy floods in October.

There have been no official figures on flood damage but an initial estimate, from Hat Yai Mayor Phrai Phatthana, cited 80 per cent of urban areas and 30,000 households affected, and 10,000 residents stranded in their homes.

The Thai Red Cross Society has set up mobile kitchens to feed flood victims in Ayutthaya, mainly serving breakfast to monks in the morning, lunch to relief workers, and dinner to villagers.

[35] Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat on Wednesday confirmed 1,186 schools in the southern provinces have been affected by flooding—555 in Songkhla, 350 in Pattani, seven in Yala, 28 in Narathiwat, 150 in Phatthalung, 63 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 20 in Trang, and 13 in Satun.

[44] Due to the remote location of the affected area, the emergency packages were prepared in Bangkok and transported some 560 miles (900 km) to the southern province of Songkla, Hat Yai being the provincial capital.

ADRA set up a distribution point close to the Prince of Songkla University, an area near Hat Yai that is unaffected by the floods due to higher elevation.

[45] As it continued to rain in the South, riverside residents in Chomporn, Suratthani, Nakornsrithammarat, Trang, and Satul have been warned of possible mudslides and flash floods in the next few days.

[46] Their worries emerge as 130 shrimp farms covering 20,000 rai of coastal area in six districts have been damaged by the floods, causing losses worth about 200 million baht.

Farmers are concerned shellfish could die all at once, causing up to 2 to 3 billion baht in damage after oyster and cockle farms in coastal areas in Ban Don and Chaiya were invaded by freshwater, said Sila Wandee, chairman of Surat Thai's local fisherman group.

[52] Alor Setar's Sultan Abdul Halim Airport was also closed after its runway was flooded, leaving helicopters as the only mode of aerial transport into Kedah and Perlis.

[63] In Thailand, the opposition Puea Thai Party on Friday petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to take legal action against Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, claiming he acted too slowly to counter the effects from the recent flooding, resulting in massive damage to property and many deaths.

[65] US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton extended her condolences for the loss of life and damage caused by severe flooding throughout Thailand, pledging additional help when needed.

Clinton said in a statement that the US Embassy in Bangkok has offered immediate disaster relief assistance following the flooding, and is "working closely" with the Thai government to provide additional help if needed.

[66] Restoration work has begun to revive the regionally vital Hat Yai commercial district in Thailand's southern province of Songkhla after heavy flooding has receded and local residents gradually are coming out to receive relief packages and buy fresh food supplies.

[67] Law and order have been largely maintained, with constant patrols by police and volunteers, but minor looting was reported and caught on camera after a few similar incidents took place earlier.

The Prince of Songkhla University compound has been packed with people seeking help during the crisis, as it served as both a rally and a pick-up point for relief supplies, and its hospital as a medical service centre.

[68] Rail service to the region was partially restored Thursday morning and the airport on Samui island, a popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand, reopened after a temporary shutdown caused by a submerged runway.

Urban planning, national irrigation strategies, and flood control systems also need a drastic rethink, particularly when one considers the future threat that climate change and rising sea levels will have on Bangkok and other populated coastal areas in the years to come.

[74] Private citizens were on the forefront, soliciting donations from other members of the public, rushing aid to flood-stricken areas, and distributing relief packages to flood victims.