Pattani: This morning in Pattani town, things are bustling again because the water has receded in many areas and locals have started to open their shops again. However, there are still many areas where the water is still flooding the roads.
According to Thai News Agency, the rain in Pattani Province has stopped for 2 days. Therefore, even though water has been released from Bang Lang Dam in Yala Province since December 1, it has not caused the water level in Pattani Province to rise as much as many people are worried about. Instead, the water level has stabilized in low-lying community areas.
Many roads in Pattani city this morning are starting to return to normal after the water receded, especially in areas with government offices such as hospitals, provincial halls, and shopping areas where shops are starting to reopen.
In areas where there is still flooding on the road, but the level is not high, many vendors have come out to set up tables to sell goods on the sidewalk, making the city center today much
more lively than the past 3-4 days.
As for the shops that still can’t reopen but the water level has started to recede, they are rushing to clean up and prepare to reopen, such as the Thai Siri Pattani (Yu Tai Siang) construction material shop that has been open for over 70 years. Tens of employees helped clean the interior, but they were only able to clean the front area of the shop. As for the back of the shop, which the owner took the news team to see, it is a warehouse that still cannot be cleaned up because there is still flooding. Many products are still submerged under the water because the warehouse was built next to the Pattani River, causing construction materials, including cement and various types of wood, to be damaged. The shop owner said that in total, it should be several hundred thousand baht because during the flood, many construction materials floated away with the water.
Like the old coffee shop, it is an old shop that has been open for more than 40 years. The owner sprayed water to clea
n the inside of the shop, but said that he is not sure if there will be another round of flooding after the Meteorological Department announced that there will be another round of heavy rain in Pattani Province on December 5-6. Therefore, he decided to close the shop for the time being.
However, although the water level in many areas of Pattani city has improved, there are still some areas where the water is still high, especially in low-lying areas that are recurring flooded areas, such as the night market community, the Talubo community, the Sabarang community, and the Yarang Road area, where both sides of the road are still flooded.
Pattani Governor Patimah Sadiyamu said the overall flood situation in Pattani will gradually improve, even though Bang Lang Dam in Yala Province released water yesterday and today to maintain the stability and security of the dam.
Previously, it was expected that the water level in Pattani Province would rise by about 30-50 centimeters, but fortunately, Pattani did not recei
ve any more rain, so water drainage was better. However, it may cause the water still flooding some areas of Pattani to remain stable for a while longer due to the influence of seawater that plays a major role.
Similarly, areas outside Pattani city that were heavily flooded, such as Tung Yang Daeng, Nong Chik and Sai Buri districts, will gradually improve, except for areas along the river where the water level may decrease more slowly than in other areas.