Report and Disseminate the Information Regarding

the Serious Disaster

Flooding in Southern Region of Thailand

April 2022

Source: ASEAN Disaster Monitoring & Response System (DMRS); Pacific Disaster Center (PDC Global); Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Ministry of Interior of Thailand (DDPM);Thai Meteorological Department(TMD); Center for Agricultural Information (CAI), Agricultural Development Policy and Planning Division, Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand.

      According to the Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), the strong easterly winds which are prevailing near the Gulf of Thailand and the Southern parts of Thailand have influenced the weather situation in these 8 provinces in the Southern of Thailand namely, Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Phatthalung, and Chumphon,Songkhla to have heavy to very heavy rainfall during 5-8 April 2022.

       Moreover, Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) had warned previously on the 2^nd April 2022 that the people in the South of Thailand should beware of the severe condition that may causes overflows and flash floods since this winds forced the waves in the upper Gulf of Thailand for about 2 meters high and in thundershowers more than 2 meters high. It was also mentioned that all ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers.

     According to the DDPM, the impact occurred from this intensive rainfall was flash flooding with the effected households of 21,669 (estimated 108,345 persons) among to main provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat andSurat Thani. For Nakhon Si Thammarat, it is reported with 20,376 effected families (estimated 101,880 persons) from 369 villages in 49 sub-districts in 12 districts and for Surat Thani, the numbers are 473 families (estimated 2,365 persons) affected from 36 villages in 5 sub-districts in 2 districts. Besides, the report informed with no injury or casualty by this flash flooding.

     In terms of the productions or crops area or quantities that were affected,Center for Agricultural Information (CAI) of Thailand has reported that the total agricultural area that effected are 15,609.92 hectares from 4types including rice (7,592.16 hectares), field crops and vegetables (1,787.84 hectares), and perennial fruit trees and other (3,084 hectares).

     As the flooding situation among most of the provinces has already eased up, the flooding situation in Nakhon Si Thammarat is still on going. However, as for the countermeasures or policies toward this situation, the provincial governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat has visited this flood victims and provided them with the aiding from the government such as food packs and non-food items. Also, the water pumps have been prepared to accelerate water pumping in the affected areas. Currently, it was reported that the water flood in Nakhon Si Thammarat has been decreasing since the 5^th of April 2022. For, Surat Thani, it was report that, the support machinery such as water pumps and survival kits have been provided to the flood victims and the floods have started to recede.

     Moreover, the TMD informed that although the Southern Region’s people should be precaution of the thunderstorms, the moderate east and northeast winds which may prevail in the Gulf of Thailand and the Southern regions is forecast to be weaken. In addition, moderate rain (30.0 mm) is forecast for the Southern East Coast Sector which may result in flooding or flash floods and in this certain area. The future effects toward this disaster may include the low production on rice, field crops, vegetables, perennial fruit trees, and others. Furthermore, despite this flooding, there are some factors to be considered that impact the damaged areas of the production or crops in Thailand such as logistic systems damaged, productions damaged, price fluctuation, and home and infrastructures damaged.

     There has been no reports toward the assistance or help from other countries' governments from outside Thailand.Nevertheless, the DDPM assured that this disaster is within their capacity as it is a regular occurrence in the Thai Southern Region at this time of the year.

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