Helicopters Race to Rescue Patients as Floods Devastate Southern Thailand

Thailand is facing one of its most catastrophic natural disasters in recent years, as torrential rainfall and rising waters have left large swathes of the southern region submerged. At least 33 people have been reported dead in the floods, which have inundated nine provinces, including Songkhla and Hat Yai. Authorities deployed helicopters on Wednesday to evacuate critically ill patients from Hat Yai’s main public hospital after floodwaters engulfed its first floor, forcing an emergency relocation of hundreds of patients, including those in intensive care.

Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat confirmed that nearly 20 helicopters and 200 government boats are navigating flood-hit zones to rescue stranded residents. The Thai military has joined the operation, delivering generators, food, and medical supplies by air. The hospital in Hat Yai, which accommodates more than 600 patients and employs thousands, has been at the center of relief efforts following record-breaking rainfall of 335 mm in a single day—the highest measured in three centuries. Photos released from the site showed doctors and soldiers working under heavy rain as equipment was moved to rooftops for safety.

Across the southern provinces, approximately 2.7 million people and nearly one million homes have been affected. Over 45,000 residents have fled from low-lying areas into temporary shelters, including schools and universities converted into emergency accommodation centers. Thailand’s only aircraft carrier, the Chakri Naruebet, has been deployed to support relief missions, offering air evacuation, food distribution, and medical aid. Volunteers and local authorities have established makeshift kitchens capable of distributing up to 20,000 meal boxes daily to displaced families.

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Neighboring Malaysia has also been hit by the same weather system, with flooding reported across eight northern states and more than 27,000 people forced into shelters. One death was confirmed in Kelantan after a vehicle was swept away by raging waters. In Indonesia, similar storms and landslides have claimed up to 13 lives this week, underscoring the regional scale of the crisis. Thousands of Malaysian tourists stranded in flood-affected areas of southern Thailand have since been transported home.

Experts attribute the unprecedented severity of these floods to the growing effects of climate change, warning that extreme rainfall patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable even outside the normal monsoon cycle. Meteorologists expect continued downpours through the weekend, particularly across Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Satun provinces, as emergency responders race against time to prevent further casualties. The Thai government has declared a state of emergency and vowed to strengthen infrastructure resilience as floodwaters slowly begin to recede in the hardest-hit areas.

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