On November 23, 2025, the city of Hat Yai in Songkhla province, Thailand, found itself at the epicenter of a crisis that few could have predicted. As torrential rains battered the region for days, the city was already grappling with the worst flooding in three centuries, according to the Smart Water Operations Center of the Royal Irrigation Department, cited by BBC Thai. Yet, as communities struggled to cope with rising waters, another disaster struck: a devastating fire broke out at Songkhla Hospital, compounding the city's woes and testing the resilience of emergency services and residents alike.
The fire erupted in the emergency room area of Songkhla Hospital at approximately 16:45 local time. The blaze, which quickly spread over an area of about 300 square meters, resulted in three fatalities and left 68 others injured, including both patients and hospital staff. The hospital, which has served the region since its establishment in 2010 and boasts a capacity of 630 beds, became the scene of frantic rescue efforts as emergency responders and local authorities raced to contain the flames and evacuate those trapped inside.
According to reports from BBC Thai, the incident prompted an immediate and coordinated response from local fire departments, medical teams, and law enforcement. They worked tirelessly to bring the fire under control and to provide urgent care for the injured. The rapid intervention was credited with preventing an even greater tragedy, though the loss of life and the number of wounded underscored the immense challenges faced by the city during a period of overlapping disasters.
While the fire at Songkhla Hospital was a sudden and acute emergency, it unfolded against the backdrop of a historic flood event that had already left much of Hat Yai and the surrounding region underwater. The flooding, which began on November 19 and persisted through the week, was driven by record-breaking rainfall. Over a three-day period, the area received a staggering 630 millimeters of rain—far surpassing the previous record of 428 millimeters set during the infamous 2010 flood. As a result, floodwaters in some parts of the city reached depths of between 0.5 and 2.5 meters, inundating homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.
The impact of the flooding extended well beyond Hat Yai. In total, 16 districts across Songkhla province were affected, with more than 465,000 residents feeling the effects of the disaster. Hat Yai alone accounted for over 243,000 people impacted by the deluge. The flooding was not isolated to Songkhla, either; nine other southern provinces, including Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Satun, Phatthalung, Trang, Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala, also suffered from the relentless rains, which were attributed to a persistent monsoon trough and a low-pressure system covering the southern region.
Experts interviewed by BBC Thai offered insights into why this year’s flood proved so catastrophic. Dr. Somporn Chua-aree, a climate and disaster management specialist at Prince of Songkla University, explained that unlike previous floods, the rainfall this time fell directly onto Hat Yai and its surrounding hills, funneling water straight into the city. In the past, floodwaters would typically flow into Hat Yai from upstream districts, but improvements such as the construction of the R.1 diversion canal had helped mitigate those risks. However, the unique topography of Hat Yai—a city built in a shallow basin surrounded by hills—meant that the massive influx of rainwater had nowhere to go, quickly overwhelming drainage systems and turning streets into rivers.
“This time, Hat Yai received water from the sky and from the slopes of the hills to the east, causing a direct and rapid rise in water levels,” Dr. Somporn told BBC Thai. The city’s urban landscape, filled with buildings and narrow streets, further complicated the situation. Water pooled in low-lying areas and was channeled along roads, creating pockets of deep flooding that proved difficult to evacuate or manage.
The challenges were compounded by issues in disaster communication and preparedness. According to Thai PBS, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation issued seven separate cell broadcast warnings to at-risk areas in Songkhla between the early hours of November 20 and midday on November 22. Yet, many residents were unable to evacuate in time or protect their belongings, raising questions about the effectiveness of the warning system.
Sirinan Suwanmolee, an independent disaster management researcher, argued that simply sending warnings was not enough. “To prompt people to take action, you need at least three things: individual capability, mechanisms for coordination and support, and resources,” she explained to BBC Thai. She emphasized the importance of clear messaging, including specific timeframes for when floodwaters would arrive, and the need for local authorities to provide information on evacuation options and resources for vulnerable groups such as the elderly or disabled.
Sirinan also highlighted shortcomings in emergency planning at the local level. “Our plans often outline the responsibilities of each agency, but they lack detailed scenarios for how to respond in real time,” she said. Without clear protocols and sufficient resources, she warned, even the best warning systems would struggle to achieve their intended results.
As Hat Yai’s residents coped with the dual crises of flood and fire, experts called for a fundamental reassessment of disaster preparedness in the region. Dr. Somporn argued that the lessons from this year’s flood should prompt authorities to develop new scenarios and response plans that account for the possibility of extreme rainfall falling directly on the city. Similarly, Sirinan advocated for reforms to Thailand’s disaster prevention laws, including the adoption of clear performance indicators and the allocation of resources to ensure that local prevention efforts are both effective and transparent.
Through it all, the resilience of Hat Yai’s community has been on display. Emergency responders, hospital staff, and ordinary citizens have worked together to rescue those in danger, provide aid to the displaced, and begin the long process of recovery. Yet, as the waters recede and the ashes are cleared, it is clear that the events of November 2025 will leave a lasting mark on the city—and a powerful reminder of the urgent need for robust disaster planning and response in an era of increasingly unpredictable weather.
The people of Hat Yai, Songkhla, and the wider southern region now face the challenge of rebuilding, but the hope is that the hard-earned lessons of this tragedy will lead to a safer, more resilient future.
