Southern thailand’s hat yai still struggling to recover from november’s devastating floods as climate crisis continues

While media attention has largely moved elsewhere, the southern Thai city of Hat Yai continues grappling with the aftermath of catastrophic flooding that struck in November 2025. The largest city in southern Thailand, Hat Yai was hit by a devastating two-wave flood event that brought nearly 25 inches of rain over just three days, leaving residents and infrastructure severely damaged.

The flooding should not have been unexpected. Hat Yai has a troubling history of severe floods, particularly in 2000 and 2010, and this La Niña year brought widely predicted heavy rainfall to the region. What made November’s disaster particularly cruel was how it unfolded in stages, giving residents false hope before delivering a devastating second blow. On November 21, longtime resident Khun Nit and his wife were even photographing themselves standing in knee-deep floodwater near their home, smiling as they dealt with what seemed like manageable flooding. By the early hours of November 22, however, heavy rains returned with a vengeance, rapidly raising water levels far beyond the “ordinary” flooding residents had initially experienced.

The crisis highlights broader concerns about climate resilience in Southeast Asia, where La Niña weather patterns are intensifying seasonal rainfall events. As Hat Yai works to rebuild, questions remain about whether adequate preparations are being made for future flooding events that climate scientists warn will likely become more frequent and severe. The city’s recovery efforts continue largely out of the public spotlight, even as residents face ongoing challenges in rebuilding their lives and communities.