Nearly 100,000 families are struggling to recover from devastating floods in Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala as the water begins to subside in some locations, according to the authorities.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) yesterday said the flood situation in the three southernmost provinces was easing, with work being done to fix damaged homes and properties.
However, 93,220 families, including those displaced by floods, in 25 districts in the provinces are struggling to find their feet.
Chaiyawat Junthirapong, DDPM's director-general, said he is working with local authorities to offer assistance to residents in areas where the floodwater has receded.
The floods in Satun, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat resulted from the northeast monsoon that covered the region and triggered persistent heavy downpours from Dec 22–28, he said.
Heavy floods ravaged wide areas in 34 districts in the five provinces at their peak in the past week, he said.
In Pattani, among the hardest hit by the heaviest flood in 50 years, many residents were caught off guard when flash floods struck their homes. They had to either wade through waist-deep water to reach evacuation boats or wait on the rooftops of their homes before being rescued.
As of yesterday, the floodwater in tambons Tabing, Lahan and Pase Yawo of Sai Buri district remained high at 3 metres in some areas.
Heavy floods were also reported in areas of Muang district, where water burst from waterway banks. The water, which flowed from nearby Yala province, was being directed into the sea in Muang district.
According to the authorities, a massive amount of water has damaged homes and disrupted roads.
In Narathiwat, 13 districts remain flooded as of yesterday. An eight-year-old child was reported missing in Rueso district. So far, seven people have died as a result of the floods, with four in Rueso district, one in Muang and two in Rangae.
Authorities have deployed flat-bottomed boats to aid residents stranded by the floods. As the flood has eased in some areas, residents have returned home, with property damage being assessed by officials.