Southern floods cut rail and bus services, inundate homes and farmland (UPDATED)
Rail and bus services in the South were halted Wednesday due to heavy flooding as the region continues to take a battering from floods caused by torrential rain over the past week.
Rail and bus services in the South were halted Wednesday due to heavy flooding as the region continues to take a battering from floods caused by torrential rain over the past week.
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Afternoon update
Floods continue to ravage South, bus services disrupted
Online reporters
Residents in many parts of Phatthalung, Yala, Trang, Narathiwat and Nakhon Si Thamarat were still battling major flooding on Thursday following heavy monsoon rain.
Major flooding in several areas, particularly in Thung Song district of Nakhon Si Thammarat, has forced the temporary cancellation of bus services between Bangkok and the South, the state-run Transport Co announced on Thursday.
The service has been suspended from Bangkok to Thung Song and Chian Yai in Nakhon Si Thammarat; Betong in Yala; Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat; Hat Yai, Dan Nok and Padang Besar in Songkhla; and Pattani and Satun provinces.
In Phatthalung, there were floods in 507 villages in 11 provinces, affecting 58,676 people of 29,327 households, local reports said.
As of Thursday morning, the Phetkasem and Asian highways running through the province were still under water and not passable to small vehicles.
A 300-metre section of the railway track running through the province, submerged by high water, had been damaged.
In Trang, runoff from the Banthat mountain range, which had flooded many localities in Nayong and Muang district for the past three days, had flowed into Trang Municipality from the East and inundated Kaphang Surin, Phraya Rassadanuprasit Monument, Khuan Khan, Khuan Khanun and sports stadium communities, reports said.
Municipality officials had erected tents to accommodate people who had been evacuated from their flooded communities.
The southern rail line is under water in Thung Song district, Nakhon Si Thammarat and the State Railway of Thailand halted southbound trains to Trang. NUJAREE RAKRUN
Morning story
South floods force halt to many train services
Post Reporters
Rail services in the South were halted Wednesday due to flooded rail lines as the region continues to take a battering from floods caused by torrential rain over the past week.
Long-haul train services between Bangkok-Trang and the capital and Nakhon Si Thammarat were forced to a halt after tracks were submerged under heavy rainwater, said Chaiya Kocharat, a track inspector.
Four trains were held up at a railway station in Thung Song district in Nakhon Si Thammarat because tracks between Khao Chumthong station and Ban Thunglor station in Ron Phibun district were under water.
The services halted were trains No 83 running between Bangkok-Trang, train No 84 running between Trang-Bangkok, train No 167 running between Bangkok-Kantang and train No 168 running between Kantang-Bangkok, Mr Chaiya said.
The tracks were under about one metre of water, he added.
Flooding also brought trains No 173 and No 174 running between Nakhon Si Thammart and Bangkok to a halt, Mr Chaiya said.
The trains are at Thung Song station and will remain there until the flooding eases enough to allow services to resume, he added.
Mr Chaiya said railway officials were forced to transfer passengers to buses which took them to Trang.
Eight southern provinces including Yala, Narathiwat and Phatthalung, Trang and Nakhon Si Thammarat have been ravaged by heavy downpours and floods over the last week.
Residents wade through floodwater in Muang district of Narathiwat. WAEDAO HARAI
Latest reports said the floods had expanded in many areas of these provinces.
Water has inundated many houses, farmland, roads and railway tracks.
Thung Song district in Nakhon Si Thammarat has been one of the hardest hit with floodwater exacerbated by run-off from the Budtad mountain range, inundating many areas in the municipality, including the main streets.
People wade through the strong flood current with the help of a rope near Ti Wang railway station in Thung Song district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, on Wednesday. NUJAREE RAKRUN
The water level in the municipality was about 30-50cm high in some areas making them impassable for small vehicles.
Several schools in tambon Tiwang and tambon Kapang of Thung Song district were closed because streets were flooded following persistent rain.
In Phipun district, a pickup truck carrying several motorcycles was swept away by floodwaters.
The driver was rescued after abandoning the nearly-sunk vehicle. Rescue workers were attempting to retrieve the vehicle, according to a local news report.
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