Songkhla province and its business district Hat Yai have been
hit by major flooding after 40-hour downpours that were continuing
Monday (November 1) evening. The crisis is worse than the flooding
that hit the province 10 years ago.

"The situation in Hat Yai is worse than what happened 10 years ago,
with this year's rainfall setting a record level, and with the Sadao
reservoir and others full," said mayor Phrai Phatthano.

He said 100 flat-bed boats had been readied and water pumps
were set up in the areas at highest risk, Wat Hai Yai Nai and
Kimyong market.

Residents in Hat Yai were fleeing upcountry from the heavily
flooded urban areas in long queues of vehicles, causing traffic
congestion in main thoroughfares.

"It's chaos down here," said a female resident who had been
stuck in the traffic jam.

In Hat Yai Municipality, evacuation orders were at the ready
ahead of floods expected to inundate the area further at about
10pm. Red flags were installed in busy areas in the evening to
warn of the danger of flash floods.

A large group of people heading to Sadao district from Hat Yai
in three buses were brought to a halt by floodwater reaching
half the height of the vehicles.

Hospitals in Songkhla and 200 homes in Saba Yoi district
were evacuated because of high floodwaters after days
of downpours.

The floodwater level in Na Thawi was 20 centimetres away
from breaching the district hospital, where 80 patients had
been moved to the second floor of a building, as 2-metre
sandbag barriers surrounding the compound could collapse
because of the strong currents, said Dr Suwat Viriyapongsukit,
director of the hospital.

The Television Pool is running news flashes and issuing warnings
about floods and storms hitting seven Southern provinces on the
Gulf of Thailand, including Songkhla. The next storm headed for
the southern region was expected to last from midnight to dawn,
resulting in high tides and days of rainstorms, the meteorology
department said.

The storms, after moving across the region from the Andaman Sea,
may cause smaller storms in the Gulf of Thailand that will bring more
heavy rain to coastal provinces on the eastern side. "Residents living
in areas at risk of storms are advised to store food, medicine and
supplies for emergency use," the statement said.

Patients and staff at Sadao Hospital were transferred to Hat Yai
General Hospital, where medical supplies and liquid oxygen had
been stored for use for another 14 days, at the direct order of
the Public Health Ministry.

Another measure ordered for Sadao Hospital was evacuation
of patients in case of lengthy flooding and off-site medical
services with support from other hospitals unaffected by
the flooding.

A villager in Sadao district, Thitiphorn Jai-ngarm, said rain
began on Friday and continued, resulting in a 3-metre-high
floodwater at her home. Power was turned off for safety reasons.

"No agencies have given us help, and all we can do now is help
ourselves," she said.

In Saba Yoi district, 200 families whose homes were hit by
1-metre floods have been moved to higher ground. Their homes
will be further inundated by water possibly reaching 2 metres and
lasting for one or two days, local officials said.

In Hat Yai, many schools are closed and low-lying areas along canals
are at risk of flooding because of the swelling waterways. Residents
were advised to move their belongings to high ground and stay on
alert for emergency evacuation to four locations prepared for them, 
Phrai said.

A flood in Ban Thung Lung in tambon Phatong, 30-50cm in height,
forced residents to carry away their belongings while building
makeshift dykes to prevent water entering their homes. An
urgent warning later predicted flooding throughout Hat Yai by
9pm, Phrai said.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, two people, Nit Chinnawong and Surin
Riyaphan, drowned, bringing flood fatalities across the country to
105, including three foreigners, as reported by the disaster
prevention and mitigation department.

The three unidentified foreigners were a Burmese, a Cambodian
and a Dutchman.

In Phuket, a mudslide warning for 10 locations was issued while
monitoring at those locations was underway. The areas at greatest
risk are Ban Kalim, Ban Mai Riab, Ban Nua, Ban Chid Cheo and Wat Mai.

In Pattani, floods on main streets in urban areas caused heavy traffic
congestion, and a warning was issued for fishing trawlers against
going offshore.

About 2,650 families in Satun have suffered days of heavy rain,
while 100 families in two districts in Narathiwat have faced
chest-level floods.