HAT YAI FLOODS: PADANG BESAR-HAT YAI TRAIN SERVICES TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED

PADANG BESAR, Nov 23 (Bernama)--Train services from Padang Besar to Hat Yai have been temporarily suspended since Friday (Nov 21) due to flooding in southern Thailand.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Padang Besar operations executive Mohamad Faris Che Lah said the route to Hat Yai was closed after rising floodwaters near Khlong Ngae Station in Sadao, Songkhla province, began to compromise operational safety.

Mohamad Faris told Bernama that services on the route will only resume once flood conditions have fully improved and the authorities confirm it is safe to do so.

Meanwhile, checks at the KTMB Station and the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complex in Padang Besar today found the area relatively quiet with few travellers passing through amid rainy weather and flooding in Hat Yai.

A food stall operator near the Padang Besar KTMB Station, Mohd Nasser Mohd Talib, 56, said the drop in visitor numbers has had a significant impact on his business, which typically sees a surge in customers every weekend.

“Usually, many people stop to eat before crossing into Thailand, but this week, numbers have plunged. I’d say we have only about 10 per cent of our usual customers, a 90 per cent drop compared to last week,” he said.

Last night, Bernama reported that about 4,000 Malaysians in Hat Yai and nearby areas have been affected by the ongoing floods, though all are safe, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Malaysian Consul-General in Songkhla, Ahmad Fahmi Ahmad Sarkawi, was quoted yesterday as saying that most provinces in southern Thailand are now experiencing floods following continuous heavy rain, and advised Malaysians to postpone travel to the region.

Ahmad Fahmi also said Malaysians requiring consular assistance may contact the duty officer at +66 81 990 1930 or email mwsongkhla@kln.gov.my.

-- BERNAMA