Floods in Thailand, Malaysia kill over 30, displace thousands

TENS of thousands of people in Thailand and neighbouring Malaysia were displaced by widespread flooding, with streets submerged, homes inundated and at least 34 dead, officials said yesterday.

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The Thai government declared a state of emergency in Songkhla province this week, with torrential rains since late last week drenching several southern provinces.

An image from yesterday showed murky brown floodwater covering streets and ground floors of residential buildings in Songkhla’s tourist hub Hat Yai.

One resident of the city told the Thai public broadcaster that the whole lower level of his building was submerged, with water reaching about three and a half metres at its highest point.

“I climbed onto the roof to call for someone to bring us food,” the man, identified as Yanyong, told the television channel.

“It's now under a metre, but I still haven't received any help because my house is deep inside the (flooded) area.”