MALAYSIAN volunteer rescuers attempting to reach Hatyai and Songkhla are facing mounting difficulties after Thai authorities issued a red-level flood alert for the country’s southern region, cutting off access routes and leaving more than 1,000 Malaysian tourists trapped in worsening conditions.
Water levels have surged to as high as 1.5 metres, severely impeding ground movement and hampering evacuation efforts.
With Thai military restrictions now in force, volunteer teams fear they may be prevented from entering the disaster zone altogether.
Leong Beng Tat, chairman of the Sungai Petani Volunteer Firefighting Team, said his unit had been inundated with distress calls since early morning.
“We received more than 1,000 emergency calls this morning. If we are prevented from entering, I am genuinely worried about their fate. We will also seek assistance from the Malaysian Embassy in Thailand to help facilitate our entry,” he said.
He urged Putrajaya to intervene swiftly by deploying official rescue personnel to expedite the return of Malaysian citizens still stranded in the hardest-hit areas. This flood, he said, had persisted for five days, with his team operating on the ground since the first day of the disaster.
According to Leong, two additional Malaysian volunteer teams are currently en route to southern Thailand – one transporting rescue boats and the other carrying essential relief supplies.
“Stranded Malaysians see us as their only hope”
In an emotional outburst, Leong appealed to the Malaysian Government, urging swift intervention to rescue Malaysians stranded by severe flooding in Hatyai, Thailand.
In a tearful live broadcast, Leong called on authorities, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to strengthen cross-border coordination and accelerate rescue operations.
“Many of those stranded see us as their only hope. The pressure is overwhelming; you won’t understand it unless you’re a rescuer facing danger on the ground,” he said.
Rising floodwaters have made search and rescue missions increasingly difficult and hazardous, Leong said, with many trapped residents losing contact after their mobile phones ran out of battery.
Reports from China Press highlighted the emotional strain on the rescue team, who fear that not all Malaysians in Hatyai will be reached in time.
“One of the people asking for help was a pregnant woman due in just three weeks. But because we couldn’t reach her, we had no idea where she or her family were,” he said.
Leong also described the constant challenges faced by his team, including capsizing rescue boats, malfunctioning lorries, and unreliable phones.
“Those trapped urgently need food, medical assistance, and evacuation. Thai rescue teams are assisting, but each trip can only save a small number of people due to strong currents, bad weather, and road closures,” he added.
Conditions briefly improved on the third day of flooding when water levels receded, but many Malaysian tourists chose not to return home at that time. With the situation now deteriorating once more, he warned that evacuation routes have become unsafe.
“We have received many calls for help, but the current situation is limiting our movements.
“We only hope the Thai military will give us passage and cooperation so that rescue operations can be carried out immediately,” he said, adding that conditions on the ground were becoming increasingly urgent. - November 25, 2025
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