Deep South Floods Leave Narathiwat Fuel-Starved and Offline
Engines stood silent at empty pumps and screens glowed with error messages as Narathiwat woke to a day without fuel or Internet. Floodwaters in nearby Songkhla have severed road links for oil tankers, while a failed junction device in the NT backbone knocked connectivity offline across three border provinces.
Digital Isolation Amid Crisis
The collapse of a junction device managed by National Telecom between Songkhla and Pattani plunged Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani into a near-total Internet blackout. Without the regional fiber link, mobile data evaporated and emergency services resorted to analog radio channels. NT engineers have been airlifted in to inspect damaged switchgear, while the Digital Ministry dispatched mobile signal units and backup generators to critical base stations. The NBTC, in coordination with AIS, True, and DTAC, is rerouting traffic through neighboring provinces to restore at least partial coverage.
Stranded on Empty Tanks
A provincewide audit led by Chief Energy Officer Chaiya Siyacheep revealed that nearly all of Narathiwat’s 42 service stations have depleted their petrol reserves. Only a handful still offer gasohol 95, trading at 49.59 baht per litre. Flooded sections of Highway 42 and several amphoe roads in Songkhla block tanker convoys, leaving local drivers stranded. The Ministry of Energy and PTT have convened a crisis cell to chart alternative routes—exploring coastal barge deliveries and cross-border pickups—to break the supply bottleneck once flood levels recede.
Battling the Waters in Sungai Kolok
In Sungai Kolok’s flooded downtown, Mayor Saleeha Mayusoh coordinated a round-the-clock pumping operation to tame the swollen Kolok River. With water levels still 70 cm above bank on its course from Tambon Buketah, nine high-capacity water pumps provided by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation worked nonstop to clear streets in seven communities. Crews fortified weak spots in floodwalls and cleared blocked drainage pipes, while residents braced for incoming tides from upstream.
Lessons for a Flood-Prone Frontier
Experts warn that monsoon-driven floods repeatedly expose southern border provinces to supply chain shocks. They advocate for multi-modal transport strategies—incorporating coastal barges, reinforced rail freight, and elevated pipelines—to bypass inundated roads. Creating regional fuel hubs stocked with strategic reserves could cushion demand surges, and deploying renewable energy microgrids in border towns might ensure local power continuity when main grids falter. Annual disaster drills by the Ministry of Energy, NBTC, and local administrations are also urged to sharpen emergency response.
Residents of Narathiwat now watch rising watermarks with cautious optimism, hoping that pumps will soon roll in supplies and engineers will restore digital lifelines. As floodwaters ebb, these unfolding challenges underscore the need for stronger infrastructure and smarter contingency plans along Thailand’s southern frontier.