Thailand Deploys Aircraft Carrier for Flood Relief

At the Core of the Disaster
Southern Thailand's Hat Yai city experienced historic rainfall over the weekend, with daily precipitation reaching 335 mm on the 21st—a record unmatched in the past three centuries. The floods have claimed at least 13 lives across four southern provinces, bringing the national death toll to 41, with over 2.68 million people affected.

Innovative Rescue Efforts
In an unprecedented move, the Thai Navy deployed the nation’s only light aircraft carrier, leading a fleet of 14 rescue vessels to the disaster area. Equipped with medical teams, relief supplies, and a mobile kitchen capable of producing 3,000 hot meals daily, the carrier has been transformed into a full-fledged "floating rescue base."

Eyewitness Accounts
Television footage captured stunning scenes: brown floodwaters sweeping cars through commercial streets, while stranded residents clung to floating foam boxes as makeshift rafts. A full evacuation of Hat Yai is underway, with approximately 1,000 tourists (mostly from Malaysia) safely relocated using rubber boats, water scooters, and other rescue vehicles.

Economic Impact
As Thailand’s fifth-largest city and a critical rubber trading hub, the paralysis of Hat Yai is expected to reduce national rubber production by approximately 10,000 tons. The disaster not only threatens local livelihoods but may also trigger ripple effects across the global rubber supply chain.

Looking Ahead
Although the meteorological department warns that heavy rainfall will persist, the Thai government has pledged to mobilize additional rescue resources. As a military carrier becomes a lifeline and foam boxes turn into rafts—this once-in-three-centuries disaster is testing the nation’s wisdom and resilience in crisis.