Floods sweep southern Thailand, killing 21, after heaviest rains in 30 years
Bangkok — The heaviest rains in 30 years have caused the floods sweeping southern Thailand, the kingdom’s junta leader said Monday, as the army ramped up efforts to reach remote inundated areas. At least 21 people have been killed and nearly one million people affected by the floods after days of unseasonably heavy rain across the country’s southern neck. Downpours and flash floods have also disrupted holidays on tourist islands including Samui and Phangan, disappointing tens of thousands of visitors hunting Thailand’s peak season sun. Despite the end of the monsoon season weeks ago, there were no immediate signs of respite for the flood-battered region. The "severe flooding is because of the worst rainfall in more than 30 years", Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters. Prayut, who led the 2014 coup, warned that climate change meant floods and droughts were increasingly likely and "Thailand must prepare to handle these problems". Soldiers have been deployed to provide relie...
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