Thailand and Malaysia Flooding

31 March 2011

SEVERE flooding in southern Thailand has killed 11 people and stranded thousands of tourists on resort islands, authorities said on Wednesday. More rain is forecasted and warnings have been issued for possible mudslides. Air travel, road and rail links have been flooded and electricity cut to many areas.

Trains to the region have been cancelled and airports have been shut, including one on the resort island of Koh Samui. Nakhon Sri Thammarat airport is still closed and flights suspended due to runway flooding while Phuket Airport remains open. Koh Tao has also become inaccessible due to heavy seas. Several main roads and highways have also been blocked by floods.

The provinces of Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Trang, Krabi and Phatthalung have been the hardest hit with most of the deaths so far occurring in the Nakhon Si Thammarat province. A total of 80 districts of eight provinces have been declared disaster areas.

Reports on Tuesday also told of flood evacuations in northeastern Malaysia owing to the same weather system. Going forward, rain with a few thunderstorms will persist as the weather stays unsettled through at least Thursday.

With the closure of the Koh Samui airport, Bangkok Airways said about 2 000 mostly foreign tourists were stranded on the island. Another 800 stuck in Bangkok had been hoping to go to the island for a holiday, before 50 flights were grounded this week.

Please note: You will not be able to purchase cover for events related to the flooding after the media warning has been issued. Please contact Oojah Travel Protection for more information.