Thailand Warns 55 Provinces of Flash Floods and Mudslides
Thailand's Meteorological Department warns 55 provinces to prepare for flash floods and mudslides as Tropical Storm Maiskak influences weather patterns through July 6, with four southern provinces also under alert for strong winds and dange
On July 4, 2025, Theeraphot Kachmathey, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), announced that the Central Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Operations Center has been monitoring weather conditions and assessing risk factors. The Meteorological Department's first bulletin on Tropical Storm Maiskak indicates that a depression in the upper South China Sea has intensified into a tropical storm, expected to move through Hainan Island and make landfall in southern China between July 4-6. While the storm's center will not directly enter Thailand, its influence combined with a monsoon trough affecting the north and upper northeast, along with strong southwest monsoon winds over the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand, will cause significant rainfall increases and heavy downpours in some areas, particularly in the northern, northeastern, central, and southern regions from July 3-6.
Wave heights in the upper Andaman Sea will reach 2-3 meters, exceeding 3 meters in thunderstorm areas. The lower Andaman Sea and upper Gulf of Thailand will see approximately 2-meter waves, exceeding 2 meters during thunderstorms. The DDPM has identified 55 provinces across four regions requiring monitoring for flash floods, flooding, and mudslides, with four southern provinces—Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, and Krabi—also under alert for strong winds and waves from July 4-6.
The department has instructed all provinces and disaster prevention centers in high-risk areas to prepare for increased rainfall and heavy downpours that may cause flooding. Personnel have been directed to closely monitor weather conditions, rainfall, and water levels, while disaster response teams equipped with machinery have been stationed in vulnerable areas. Special attention is being given to areas with accumulated rainfall exceeding 90 millimeters in 24 hours and historically flood-prone zones, with urgent drainage operations underway to minimize damage.
