MALAYSIA has successfully completed the evacuation of its citizens stranded in Hat Yai and surrounding districts after catastrophic floods paralysed the southern Thai city, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Saturday.
A total of 6,222 Malaysians were rescued in an operation described as one of the ministry’s largest coordinated evacuation efforts in recent years.
In a statement, the ministry said the mission was carried out through joint efforts involving the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, the Consulate-General in Songkhla and more than 15 Malaysian non-governmental organisations and volunteer groups.
On the final day of operations, the last remaining group of 12 Malaysians was escorted safely across the Bukit Kayu Hitam border crossing.
Meanwhile, Hat Yai remains in a state of near-total shutdown following last week’s deluge, which residents said struck with force “as if hit by a tsunami”.
Every business premises and hotel in the city centre suffered extensive damage as floodwaters submerged entire ground floors, tearing through buildings with powerful currents.
Thousands of vehicles, including those belonging to Malaysian tourists, were left caked in mud—many overturned or piled atop one another. It is estimated that around 1,000 Malaysian-owned vehicles were stranded in the city.
According to Ahmad Qusyairi Ahmad Zaini, International Relations Officer of the Kubang Pasu Municipal Council, the scale of devastation is severe and recovery will be slow.
“I have just returned from Hat Yai yesterday. The situation there is heartbreaking, like a tsunami had struck. Almost all shops and hotels are damaged, and vehicles are overturned everywhere,” he told Kosmo!.
“It has been reported that there are hundreds of deaths, though none so far involve Malaysians.”
Ahmad Qusyairi said his own restaurant in Hat Yai was badly hit, with the ground floor submerged up to the ceiling. His car and two motorcycles were also destroyed.
“My home was flooded almost up to the second floor. I am grateful my wife, who was there during the incident, is safe,” added the Kedah State Youth Council exco member.
Residents are unable to clean or restore their homes and businesses due to the continued lack of water and electricity supply.
“Hat Yai has nothing left for Malaysian visitors at the moment. All hotels are damaged, and it may take more than a month before the city can recover,” he said.
Efforts are now under way to extract Malaysian-owned vehicles stranded in affected areas, though many are unlikely to be covered by flood-damage insurance.
“Most of the vehicles may not be insured for natural disasters, so owners will likely have to bear repair costs themselves,” he noted. - November 29, 2025
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