PADANG BESAR, Nov 23 — Train services from Padang Besar to Hat Yai have been temporarily suspended since Friday (November 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.
He 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.
Food stall operator Mohd Nasser Mohd Talib, 56, who works near the Padang Besar KTMB Station, 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 would 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 said that most provinces in southern Thailand are now experiencing floods following continuous heavy rain, and advised Malaysians to postpone travel to the region.
He reminded Malaysians requiring consular assistance to contact the duty officer at +66 81 990 1930 or email mwsongkhla@kln.gov.my.
