Thailand deploys aircraft carrier as deadly floods claim 13 lives PHOTO

Thirteen people have died in southern Thailand as severe flooding—driven by days of relentless heavy rain—continues to overwhelm communities across the region. In response, authorities are deploying an aircraft carrier stocked with emergency supplies, helicopters, and medical teams to bolster rescue and relief operations.

Floodwaters have surged to depths of up to two metres in some areas, submerging nine Thai provinces and eight states in neighbouring Malaysia. The destruction, stretching hundreds of kilometres, mirrors the devastation of last year’s monsoon season, which killed 12 people, Reuters reports.

The Royal Thai Navy confirmed it has launched a major relief mission, dispatching the aircraft carrier Chakri Naruebet alongside a flotilla of 14 vessels. The task force will deliver medical teams, essential goods, and field kitchens capable of serving up to 3,000 meals per day.

“The fleet is ready to deliver forces and carry out actions as the Royal Navy orders,” the Navy said in a statement, noting that the carrier may also function as a floating hospital.

An estimated 1.9 million people have been affected across Thailand. The national meteorological agency has warned of continued heavy rains, flash floods, and waves exceeding three metres (10 feet), advising small boats to stay ashore.

“Calls have been coming in non-stop in the last three days, in the thousands, asking to be evacuated and others for food,” said a member of the Matchima Rescue Center in Hat Yai, the worst-hit city.

Authorities in Hat Yai—Thailand’s fifth-largest city and a major rubber trading hub—have ordered evacuations after what Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described as the worst flooding in 15 years. The city recorded 335 mm (13 inches) of rain on November 21, its highest single-day total in three centuries.

“We are five people and a small child without rice and water,” wrote Facebook user The Hong Tep in an appeal for help posted to the Matchima group’s page. “Phone reception has been cut — water is rising fast.”

Television footage showed torrents of muddy water surging through commercial streets as residents waded through chest-high currents, using polystyrene boxes for support while rescue teams in rubber boats evacuated people in orange life vests. Cars were submerged, and floodwaters swirled around an abandoned fire truck stranded in the street.

Across the border in Malaysia, more than 18,500 people have been forced from their homes and relocated to 126 evacuation centres, mostly in northern states. Images released by Perlis state’s fire department showed rescue teams wading through knee-deep water to enter homes, while boats carried elderly residents to safety.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Facebook that a team of rescuers deployed to Kelantan—the worst-hit Malaysian state bordering Thailand—could be sent to other affected states if required.

“Family safety must be the priority,” he wrote, directing authorities to provide maximum support and urging residents to comply with evacuation orders. “In this difficult and challenging time, I pray that all flood victims are granted strength, resilience, and protected from any harm.”

The floods also threaten to disrupt Thailand’s crucial rubber industry—one of the world’s largest—where the national rubber authority estimates that rainfall could reduce output by approximately 10,300 tons.

By Vafa Guliyeva