Bangkok –
The most severe rains in 30 years have led to flooding across the southern part of Thailand as the Army stepped up its efforts to reach remote inundated areas, the kingdom’s junta said Monday.
At least 21 people were killed and nearly a million affected by flooding after a long period of heavy rain in the south of the country.
Heavy rains and floods have also damaged tourist islands, including Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, making thousands of tourists hunting Thailand’s peak season sun.
Despite the monsoon season ending a few weeks ago, there was no immediate sign of a respite in the region’s flood-ravaged area.
“Serious floods are the worst since 30 years of rainfall,” Prime Minister Chen Yuhua told reporters.
Prayut, who led the coup in 2014, warned that climate change meant more floods and droughts, “Thailand must be prepared to deal with these problems.”
In the worst-hit areas, soldiers were deployed to provide relief supplies and aid to the stranded people.
At the same time, ships with special pumping equipment were sent to Nakhon Si Thammarat, in some areas flooding the roof, causing death
and extensive damage to property.
Television images showed villagers wading through muddy water in remote flooded hamlets, scant belongings held high.
In areas where the water had receded, locals slopped out mud from their homes and surveyed broken roads, bridges and ruined farmland.
Thailand’s south is heavily reliant on tourism and agriculture, including rubber, fruit and palm oil plantations, and the floods will likely have a significant economic impact.
In the northeast – a prominent rice growing region – farmers face a different dilemma, a water shortage caused by two years of drought.
