A MALAYSIAN family stranded in central Hat Yai has issued a plea for urgent assistance after their hotel was left without electricity, clean water and sufficient food supplies as floodwaters cut off surrounding roads.
Muhammad Farhan Mohd Zaidon, 32, said he travelled from Kelantan with 13 family members, including three young children, for a holiday last Friday, only to find themselves confined to their hotel as continuous heavy rain triggered sudden flooding across the city.
“We are stranded in the hotel because of the floods, with no electricity and no clean water,” he said. “Food supplies are limited. Even though some shops are open, stock is running low. The hotel is only giving mineral water and two tins of sardines per room.”
Farhan said his greatest concern now is the health of his parents, whose medication is rapidly depleting. He added that his child’s milk and disposable diapers are almost exhausted, heightening the urgency of their situation.
“So far, everyone is safe and healthy, but food and clean water are scarce. I contacted the consulate number provided, but as of midday, I have not received any response,” he said, hoping that improving weather and receding floodwaters would soon allow them to return home.
According to the Halal Trade and Tourism Association of Thailand and Asia, nearly 1,000 Malaysians stranded in Hat Yai are expected to begin returning today as floodwaters progressively recede. Its chairperson, Aida Oujeh, said Malaysian tourists were now able to make their way safely to the Sadao border crossing.
“Some Malaysians have already headed to Sadao to return through Bukit Kayu Hitam. They began travelling this morning, and we expect all Malaysians will be able to return today,” she said.
She added that the Thai authorities were providing extensive assistance, including adequate food supplies for stranded hotel guests.
“The Thai government has prepared 200,000 food boxes, with 50,000 allocated specifically for stranded Malaysian tourists, enough for three meals a day,” she said. On behalf of the Thai government and its people, she apologised for the disruption caused by what she described as a rare, once-in-12-years flood event.
Reports indicated that more than 1,000 Malaysians were initially stranded when floodwaters inundated large parts of Hat Yai yesterday, leaving many without food as eateries and shops shut down.
The Malaysian Consul-General in Songkhla, Ahmad Fahmi Ahmad Sarkawi, clarified today that no Malaysians had been forcibly removed from their hotels, dismissing certain media reports as a misunderstanding.
“I want to emphasise that no Malaysian has been forced out or evicted from their hotels,” he said. “Several hotels where Malaysians were staying experienced failures in electricity, water supply and food due to the flooding. The consulate, in cooperation with the Songkhla Hotel Association and a Thai foundation, has been working together to resolve the situation.”
He said relocation efforts began today, with an estimated 500 to 600 Malaysians expected to be moved by the end of the day. Those affected would either be transferred to unaffected hotels or transported directly to Hat Yai International Airport to return home.
“We realise many hotels are facing similar problems, but our team will try our best to help Malaysians. This is among the alternatives taken to assist our citizens who have been stranded here,” he said.
Flooding has also disrupted cross-border rail travel. Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) confirmed that train services between Padang Besar and Hat Yai have been suspended since Friday, 21 November, after rising waters near Khlong Ngae Station in Sadao compromised rail safety.
KTMB’s Padang Besar operations executive, Mohamad Faris Che Lah, said services would resume only once conditions fully improve. The usually busy Padang Besar KTMB Station and ICQS complex were markedly quiet today, with traders reporting sharp drops in customers.
A food stall operator, Mohd Nasser Mohd Talib, said his business had been severely affected. “Usually many people stop to eat before crossing into Thailand, but this week numbers have plunged. I’d say we have only about 10 per cent of our usual customers,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed that around 4,000 Malaysians in Hat Yai and nearby areas had been affected by the floods, though all were safe. Ahmad Fahmi again advised Malaysians to postpone travel to southern Thailand until conditions stabilise. - November 23, 2025
