FLOODING HALTS TRAINS IN THE SOUTH

Flooding has halted the Hat Yai to Kuala Lumpur train services as heavy rainfall continued in several southern provinces.

A one kilometre stretch of track in Songkhla's Sadao district was inundated with flood water, leaving trains including the Express Langkawi, running between Songkhla's Hat Yai and Kuala Lumpur, and some freight trains stuck at Padang Besar station.

However, all trains on the southern routes, including the ones to Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat, were not affected, according to the State Railway of Thailand's southern office.

Four of 16 districts of Songkhla have already been affected by the deluge, while flash flood warnings have been issued for the other areas as heavy rainfall continued. The Meteorological Centre in the eastern South has issued flash flood warnings in Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said many southern provinces have now been declared flood-affected areas and relief aid will be dispatched.

About 350 families living in lowland areas in seven districts of Narathiwat were now suffering from flooding after four days of heavy rain.

The average flood water level was 50 to 80 centimetres high and in some areas the waters was as deep as three metres.

Some parts of Phatthalung, Trang, and Satun were also flooded.

Trang provincial office has announced the temporary closure of its three major waterfalls for safety reasons to avoid a repetition of the 2007 tragedy when 38 tourists were killed in a flash flood at Sai Rung and Phrai Sawan waterfalls in Yan Ta Khao district. Satun also declared its central public park off-limits to visitors over landslide concerns. The Satun park is next to a cliff.

In Prachuap Khiri Khan strong waves have battered the coastline.