Imagine soaring above Yala, your vision sweeping over a mesmerizing tapestry interwoven with ribbons of asphalt, half-submerged under relentless tides. This panoramic spectacle is no ordinary view—it reveals a harsh reality: a battle against a deluge. Yala’s vast expanse is under siege by an unyielding flood, pushing local champions to the brink as they summon every resource, every ounce of energy, to safeguard the community’s soul. The Yala Public Relations Office snapshot captures not just high waters, but high spirits amid crisis.
The vigilant watchdogs at the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), led by the astute Surasee Kittimonthon, are keeping an eagle eye on the deep South’s swelling tears. With a forecast that only spells out more of Neptune’s wrath, ONWR’s sage secretary-general doubles as the captain of the Flood-Prone Area Water Management Centre in these southern precincts. Surasee’s pulse quickens at the thought of the southernmost provinces being at the mercy of the clouds, as they threaten to unleash their liquid fury.
Rainfall has already laid siege to Sukhirin and Waeng in Narathiwat, turning lush farmland into waterlogged wastelands, evicting families from the nests they called home. Surasee’s gaze travels farther, taking in the sodden scenes of Muang, Bannang Sata, and Krong Pinang districts in Yala, spilling over to pockets of Pattani. Evacuations dominate the day, with roofs transformed into life rafts for those eagerly awaiting salvation from above.
Beneath this chaos, Yala’s pride, the Bang Lang dam, groans under the weight of a near-bursting bounty of 1,242.45 million cubic meters of water. This titan of storage is taxed to its limits, at a nerve-wracking 85% capacity, teetering on the ability to shield its people from further flood-forged fury.
But hold fast, the ONWR oracle sees a glimmer of reprieve. As the New Year dawns, he predicts the waters will wane, receding like a tired behemoth into a slumber. And none too soon, for Pattani has declared eight of its districts—encompassing a patchwork of 30 tambons and 95 villages—a realm ravaged by the watery onslaught. The label ‘disaster areas’ doesn’t quite capture the travail of at least 25,000 souls from 8,360 families caught in the torrents.
Moving to Narathiwat, the tally of turmoil is etched on the lives of 158,126 individuals from 41,442 families, scattered across a sprawling 13 districts—each a testament to nature’s indiscriminate might. The flood has claimed its tithe, with seven lives lost amidst the swirling madness.
In a bid to showcase solidarity and leadership, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin traversed the tumultuous waters of Narathiwat. With his visit, he brought not just his presence but also the unwavering spirit of a nation that stands shoulder to shoulder against nature’s tantrums, resolute to rebuild and revive the dampened spirits and drenched lands of the southern region.
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