Southern Thailand is wrestling with one of its fiercest deluges in decades, and communities from Hat Yai to Yala are feeling the strain. Rivers have swollen, low-lying neighborhoods are submerged, and thousands have been forced from their homes into temporary shelters. But amid rising waters, a powerful current of solidarity has surged from Phuket — neighbors, clubs, foundations and government agencies rowing in unison to get supplies, rescues and reassurance to the hardest-hit areas.
The provinces hit hardest include Hat Yai and Mueang Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Satun, Surat Thani, Pattani and Yala — a broad swath of southern Thailand where rain and runoff have conspired to overwhelm communities. In response, local leaders in Phuket have turned into relief coordinators overnight.
At the grassroots level, Kamala has become a hub of compassion. The Kamala Kamnan and Phu Yai Baan Club, together with Kamala residents, are collecting essentials — bottled water, dried food, clothing, medicine, candles and flashlights — at the area beside Papadokia Restaurant in Kamala. Donors are being asked to bring items there through November 30; volunteers are sorting and packing for fast delivery to flooded zones.
Meanwhile, residents of Baan Bang Phak have mobilised their own effort, focusing on rice, drinking water and dried goods. If you want to support this community-run drive, call either 084-3766746 or 081-0835955 for details on drop-offs and pick-ups.
Trang Club Phuket is coordinating relief for Trang province with a roster of convenient collection points: Robinson Lifestyle Chalong, Mixxmall Rawayana and Lotus’s Express in Kathu are accepting donations of baby and adult diapers, cleaning supplies and food staples. Those donations will be accepted until Thursday, November 27 and are scheduled to be dispatched the following day — a tightly run logistics move that helps get help where it’s needed without delay.
The private and public sectors have been equally swift. Phuket Yat Dai, the local political party headed by Phuket PPAO President Rewat Areerob, dispatched jet-skis from Phuket on November 24 to assist rescue operations in flooded areas, committing to “wherever help is needed.” The Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation has also reinforced front-line assistance by sending Disaster Response Team No. 2 to Hat Yai.
Transport and infrastructure partners jumped into action as well. Phuket International Airport donated 1,200 bottles of drinking water, which Bangkok Airways transported to Hat Yai Airport for distribution to evacuees and relief teams. Little gestures like that add up fast when communities are thirsty and supply chains are strained.
At a national level, government agencies are stepping up coordination. The Ministry of Education activated five vocational colleges in Songkhla to operate field kitchens producing more than 2,500 meals a day for affected areas, including Hat Yai, Rattaphum and Nathawi — a pragmatic use of local resources to feed families and first responders. The Ministry of Higher Education has opened a 24-hour war room, putting universities on standby to provide emergency shelter and technical support as water levels threaten to rise further in Hat Yai.
Political and infrastructure leaders are on alert, too. Minister of Social Development Akkhara Prompow ordered expedited support for the most vulnerable, while Energy Minister Atthapol Rerkpiboon directed EGAT and PTT to protect power and fuel systems. Meanwhile, over 22,000 relief bags have already been packed and are primed for immediate deployment — a logistical cushion that could be life-changing for displaced families.
When disaster hits, the smallest items can make the biggest difference. Volunteers are asking for non-perishable food, bottled water, infant formula and diapers, hygiene supplies, warm clothing and flashlight batteries. If you’re in Phuket and wondering how to help right now, the Kamala collection point, the Baan Bang Phak contacts (084-3766746, 081-0835955), and the drop-off locations for Trang Club Phuket are concrete places to start.
Floods test infrastructure — and the patience of any community — but they also reveal something vital: that when waters rise, compassion rises faster. From jet-skis cutting through flooded streets to kitchen teams ladling out thousands of meals, the response out of Phuket and beyond is both practical and profoundly human. If you can, give what you can and spread the word; if you can’t donate right now, share verified collection info with friends and family so that help reaches the people who need it most.
As authorities continue rescue and recovery operations, stay tuned to local updates and official announcements. The situation is evolving, but the one constant is community — the steady, determined effort of everyday people and organisations stepping up until the waters recede.
I wrote this piece from reports coming in and local contacts; Phuket is coordinating a lot but the situation on the ground is changing fast. If anyone has verified drop-off updates or photos from collection points, please share them here so we can keep the information current. Thank you to the volunteers and donors already mobilising.
The story sounds nice but the government always takes credit while grassroots volunteers do the real work. Why are there still bottlenecks in distribution if hotels and clubs are already collecting supplies?
Good question — from my interviews the bottlenecks are often transport and coordination between provinces, not the collectors; jet-skis and airport shipments help but last-mile delivery into flooded villages remains hard.
Last-mile is the real issue then. Why not coordinate more boats and locals with small vehicles? It feels like red tape is slowing people down.
Coordination is a logistics problem but also infrastructure resilience. Many bridges and access roads were never designed for these runoff volumes, so it’s not just red tape — it’s neglect of planning over decades.
I dropped off bags at Kamala yesterday; the volunteers were exhausted but organised. The grassroots energy is real, but donors should insist on transparency for where supplies go.
Thanks for that on-the-ground report — can you share the collection times or a contact? I’ll add it to follow-up notes for readers.
Appreciate the reporting, Sophie. One technical note: field kitchens at vocational colleges are smart because they use local logistics and staff, but they need secure fuel and generator backups to run continuously during blackouts.
As someone in logistics, backup power is often overlooked until it’s too late. Local energy providers should prioritise generators for kitchens and hospitals.
Exactly — coordinating EGAT and private fuel suppliers as the Energy Minister directed is necessary, but execution at the district level matters most.
This makes me so sad, my uncle lives in Hat Yai and he sent pictures of his street under water. I wish I could do more than share this post.
If he’s local to Hat Yai, call the provincial hotline or try to contact the community shelter; also drop items at Kamala if you can — volunteers will transport donations.
Thanks Larry, I’ll call tonight. Sharing verified drop-off info is the least I can do.
Also check the Ministy of Education updates — they list field kitchens and shelters, could be useful for family reunification.
Phuket stepping up is great, but why is international aid barely mentioned? Floods this big should trigger cross-border offers of help, especially logistics expertise.
International aid is complicated by sovereignty and speed; local responses are faster in the first 72 hours. Later, bigger donors might step in for reconstruction.
I get the sovereignty point, but expertise in rapid water management could save lives now. We need faster knowledge transfer.
Two observations: one, invest in early warning systems; two, revise land-use planning near rivers. This will be politically painful but is necessary to reduce recurring disaster costs.
We tried to voice that after the last big flood, but developers and local politics pushed back. People keep building in flood plains.
Then the conversation needs to shift to incentives — tax breaks for relocation, stricter building codes, and insurance reforms to discourage risky development.
As a farmer, moving is easy to say but hard to do. Where are we supposed to go without jobs? Plans have to include livelihoods.
I’m worried donations will be diverted or hoarded by middlemen. How can regular people ensure their supplies reach actual families and not warehouses?
Bring donations to the official Kamala collection point and take a photo with volunteers if possible. Small local groups post distribution proof on Facebook and LINE groups.
Good tip, I’ll ask for evidence before leaving big parcels.
Local clubs like the Kamala Kamnan and Phu Yai Baan Club often share dispatch photos; I’ll try to gather any public proof for a follow-up note to the article.
Proud of the jet-ski teams from Phuket — they saved people yesterday when roads were impassable. Local skills and small boats matter more than big promises sometimes.
Agree, local volunteers know routes and households. They deserve more support and gear, not just applause.
Exactly, donations should include fuel and lifejackets for rescue teams, not only canned food.
This is political theatre: ministers show up, cameras roll, then nothing changes. Over 22,000 relief bags sounds great, but how many actually reach remote villages?
I understand the scepticism; transparency is key and I’ll follow up on distribution numbers for remote districts in my next piece.
Please do. People need accountability, especially when vulnerable families depend on these bags.
A data-backed tracker with GPS-tagged shipments would solve trust issues, but that requires tech and oversight which isn’t always present in crises.
Practical note: attract donors by giving precise needs — rice, baby formula, batteries — and times for pick-up. Vague appeals get ignored or overwhelmed.
Yes, the article does list specifics and contact numbers for Baan Bang Phak and collection points. Clear lists significantly improve donation quality.
Good — then spread those lists on community boards and WhatsApp groups, not just social media timelines.
Why isn’t the national guard more visible? Military logistics could move large quantities fast, it seems like a missed opportunity.
Military is often involved but politically sensitive; also, they may be dealing with other priorities. That said, mobilising assets faster should be a top priority.
I just want help to reach families sooner, politics aside. Any delay costs lives.
I live in Trang and volunteers packed sacks all night; we saw Robinson Lifestyle Chalong staff loading trucks. Community effort is real, but roads in some tambons are still flooded.
Thanks for the update, Somchai. Which tambons are hardest hit? Locals can reroute donations if we know where roads are closed.
Namtok and the riverbank villages near the main market — I can send a short list of hamlets that need rice and water tomorrow morning.
Please do, and include shelter names if possible so NGOs can allocate mattresses and blankets.
I think social media spreads panic as much as help; some posts exaggerate conditions and clog hotlines. We should verify before forwarding.
Agreed — official channels and local verified groups are best. I’ll add a note about trusted sources in the follow-up to prevent misinformation.
But verification shouldn’t delay help; a balance is needed. If you see a credible call from a local leader, act fast.