MORE than 1,000 vehicles belonging to Malaysians are reported to be stranded in Hatyai, Thailand, due to major flooding that hit the area since November 22.
Chairman of the Sungai Petani Volunteer Fire Department (PBS), Leong Beng Tat, said an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 vehicles were trapped in the flood, including those submerged in the hotel's underground parking area.
He said that the work of towing the vehicles involved, however, was facing difficulties because lorries or tow trucks from Malaysia were not allowed to enter the affected area.
"Malaysian lorries are not allowed to enter there. Therefore, the vehicles involved need to be towed using Thai tow trucks to the border, then only changed to our lorries," he said when contacted by Berita Harian.
Beng Tat also explained that the situation has caused some owners to have to arrange their own towing of their vehicles in Thailand because not all insurance policies provide coverage for incidents abroad.
In fact, he said, many owners have been forced to abandon their vehicles because they have suffered severe damage or cannot be salvaged.
Meanwhile, he said that many victims contacted his department to thank him for the assistance provided by the team throughout the rescue operation.
Beng Tat said that 23 Malaysian volunteer rescue teams had assisted in the operation to rescue Malaysians in Hatyai.
"Many thanked him. All those we rescued later told us that they had safely reached home," he said, adding that the floods in Hatyai were slowly receding due to the low-lying area.
Recounting his experiences throughout the operation, he said that there were incidents of false messages being spread claiming that Malaysian tourists had died.
"We had to leave other work to go and search (for the victims who were said to have died) but when we got to the location, there were no deaths. It's sad when people make up stories like that.
"The rescue operation we carried out was not easy... two of our boats capsized due to strong currents, we risked our lives to save the victims, but some sent fake messages to be rescued first," he said.
However, he said, all the victims who were found were in good health and in high spirits as soon as they saw the presence of the Malaysian rescue team.
"They were happy to see Malaysians arriving to help, and were impressed with our efforts," he said. - December 1, 2025
