25 dead, 1 million affected by floods in Thailand

Authorities say at least 25 people have died in severe flooding in southern Thailand since New Year’s Day, leaving businesses paralysed and thousands of tourists stranded.

The Interior Ministry said in a report on Tuesday that the main highway connecting the south with the rest of the country was swamped.

It said 12 provinces have been hit by unseasonal rains and surface runoff since January 1, affecting more than 1 million people.

One of the main airports and schools in the south remained shut.

The Meteorological Department forecasts more heavy rain in the region, which has popular beaches and resorts that attract millions of foreign tourists every year. 

Overland routes to Thailand’s flood-hit south were also severed on Tuesday after two bridges collapsed following days of torrential rain that has killed at least 25 people, including a five-year-old girl.

The heaviest January rains for three decades have lashed the country’s south for more than a week, affecting 1.1 million people across eleven provinces.

The unseasonal downpours have also put a dampener on Thailand’s peak tourist period, prompting cancellations on popular resort islands including Samui and Phangan.