hatyai worst flood ever nov. 2025 – what an experience!
(note: when i put in "pic" or "video" means i have those pictures and videos posted on my facebook. wanted to post many pictures here but the files are too large to be posted here, thus for the rest of the photos/videos, please go to my faacebook page..)
every year, towards the end of the year, we will have company’s annual trip. at first we planned to go to medan, indonesia but after the planning, suddenly medan was plunged in chaos when the people were on strike. thus we had to cancel the trip to medan and they settled on hatyai. hatyai? that was our company’s trip 2 years ago.
i was not too happy and had decided not to go…. what more when i discovered most of them wants to go there for shopping, which is what i hate most! no no i do not want togo to hatyai for shopping. however what i wanted was only to shop for cashew nuts (or other type of nuts) so i thought ok lah never mind i go and shop for nuts (at market place) only and while the others shop in malls, let them walk to shop while i go sit in a café, if any.
we booked the hotel for 21 & 22 nov night (fri & sat) at v.l. hatyai hotel– leaving penang at 7.00am and scheduled to return on 23 nov late afternoon. oh there were 30 of us, from all the 3 departments (tax, audit, secretary).
21 nov (friday)
on our first day in hatyai while at the thai border, it was already raining though not so heavy. our first stop was to have lunch. we went to a new restaurant that was opened in april this year – the ‘tomyam halal noodle cafe and seafood restaurant’ at ban bru district. (pic) quite good food with 8 dishes for table of 6 pax. (my post about the food is here at my 'taste the food with lucia' facebook blog)
after lunch, we went to the makro shopping centre for shopping. when we reached there, it started to rain quite heavy. whoa… saw so many of my colleagues pushing trolley to shop – huh? need a trolley? means they want to shop a lot! goodness! later however i found out, makro only have trolleys and no baskets and most of the items they are selling, are in bulk. so i walked with my roommate colleague, patricia, who like me don’t like to shop – with no trolley of course. however, as expected with my ‘bad eye’ some things i saw, i decided to buy! haha.
we were rather tired and thirsty while walking around the huge makro so seeing dunkin donut near the entrance/exit, we decided to have a drink there and shared a donut. when everybody were satisfied with their shopping, time to hop on the bus. we went to a café called ‘sapakafe 36’ for some drinks before we headed back to check in the hotel. alamak. didn’t know the tour guide wanted to take us to a café… at makro’s dunkin donut i had already taken a cup of latte so here at sapakafe 36, decided not to take any coffee – went for the orange juice soda instead.
after at sapakafe 36 cafe, we went to check in the hotel. after settling down in the hotel, we decided to go to the asean night market for dinner. took a tuk-tuk that can seat 12 persons.
the asean night market has a lot of food at the foodcourt where i notice all stalls were operated by muslim. i took the seafood mee goreng. after our dinner, we went down to walk along the stalls selling stuff and i ended up buying a small handbag!
when we decided to go back, we notice the rain is getting so heavy now. the tuk-tuk journey from the market to our hotel took longer than as usual because of the heavy rain and some areas started flood a bit, thus traffic congestion here and there.
oh while we were at the asean night market, we received the first sms alert – it came on so loud – tut! tut! for a few seconds. the sms said about landslides and so on. we were quite alarmed but the tour guide assured us the landslides was way out from where we were… but at that time we had no idea yet, what was to come…. non stop rain and serious flooding. (pic showing the SMS alerts)
reaching the hotel and going to sleep, at that time we had no idea at all what was to come. we planned to go for breakfast the next day at 6.30am, then leave the hotel for sight-seeing at 8.00am.
22 nov (saturdy)
the next day (22 nov saturday) the plan was that we will take breakfast which starts at 6.00am then at 8.00am we will move out. i remember very well, at 6.15am, i told my roommate “oh it is 6.15am now. time for us to go down for breakfast” when she came out from the bathroom. she said “okok” and walked to the table and then suddenly – poof! – the electricity went off. at that time, we didn’t know anything…. thought was it just our room or all rooms in the hotel. my roommate called the reception to ask and was told no power to the whole hotel but simple breakfast will be provided.
so we had to walk down 9 flights of stairs to the hotel café. yes, we were put on the 9th floor room. then i was thinking – i just said to go down (using the lift) and then suddenly the electricity went off -it was god’s intervention!! what if we were already in the lift and then the electricity went off? we will get stuck in the lift! phew! thank god so much.
btw, i was quite disappointed that the tour agent put the two of us – the oldest on the 9th fl. while all the other young ones were at 7th fl and 8th fl. why lah like this?? very ironic when older ones should have lower floors. further at the 9th fl, only one room of two of us! (in the end though, another 2 rooms were occupied by colleagues – but we still at 9th fl.).
the flood actually already started on 21st nov night so by 22nd nov morning, the flood was more serious and for breakfast we didn’t expect a good breakfast since there was no electricity. true. it was only fried rice and nothing else and even that, the staff scooped the rice for us on a small plate. guess being limited, it was better for staff to serve us, and not we ourselves take it. it was also a small serving only but luckily later on we notice there were some balance, so we went for second helping.
it was good to hear that during our breakfast, the hotel… i think she is the manager or maybe the boss… announced to us that they will give us dinner at 5.00pm, and do you know what? she said the dinner today and breakfast tomorrow will be cooked by a michelin selected restaurant chef from malaysia. however didn’t tell us the name of the restaurant. she mentioned it will be seafood porridge and asked if anyone of us allergic to seafood.
the water level on 22 nov, whole day was very high and keep rising so naturally all of us staying in the hotel can’t go out for food. our room was facing a traffic light and we use the traffic light as a gauge for the water level. later i found out the water was as high as waist deep. (pic and video)
without electricity, all of us feared our phone will go kaput but luckily some where in the afternoon, we found out from the room opposite us (not our group, strangers but we get to know them later), that there is electricity at the power outlets along the corridor. so we all took turns to charge our phone at the corridor. we even boiled water at the corridor for making coffee.
so as they said dinner at 5.00pm i was telling my roommate we better be there at 4.30pm but before 4.30pm, a colleague called and said they were already there – they went at 4.00pm! oh. i thought if go at 4.30pm, consider early already. anyway she said better go early to reserve seats as there were quite many guests by now and the café is not too big to fill up everyone at one time.
oh! dinner was fried rice again! (pic) however the morning one was cooked by the staff and this by the micihelin selected restaurant staff – yes, certainly different tase. this one had more ‘liao’ in it, can see sausages while the morning one, think no meat. the fried rice was served to us at our table plate by plate – so each person get one plate only and small serving.
after dinner, where else to go but back to our room. from our room, we keep looking out from the balcony at the water level. the rain on today did stop sometimes but stop for only 5 or 10 mins!… then heavy rain came!… and the heavy rain stayed for hours.
on this day, we received lots of sms alert now and then. (pic). it’s good that they sent the sms to update on the flood situation now and then.
23 nov (sunday)
on 23 nov (sunday) breakfast was at 9.00am and we were there at 8.00am. we notice near 9.00am, people coming in and can’t find seats. the hotel staff had to open some tables at some corners. btw, the staff those days working were not all the hotel permanent staff. some were volunteers and only for this morning, i notice some guests too volunteer in the kitchen.
breakfast was seafood porridge, which was very delicious. (pic) however as being small serving and being porridge, most colleagues (especially the men) will feel hungry soon. luckily the organisers (my other colleagues) provided all of us with some snacks to munch in case we were hungry. for me, no, i don’t feel hungry as the porridge will be good enough to last me till 5.00pm dinner time.
we were informed that today, the water supply might be very low as the hotel is trying to save water before it eventually will be cut off, like the electricity. making us so anxious. no electricity, no power, and soon not enough food?
before breakfast we were informed that a malay family who was with a mother who has heart problem had called on the army truck to transport then out of hatyai to padang besar, and the truck still have 15 places for us – so our organizers picked who to go back – those who are rushing for work or those with medical problems. they did asked my roommate and me too since both of us are the oldest among the 30 of us. but for me, i don’t mind to let the others go first. further it was still raining and water level deep so i was concerned about the journey. i was thinking maybe monday (24 nov) would be a better time to go back, expecting the flood to recede.
the truck was suppose to come at 9.00am and those who will be going back had packed their bags and at lobby waiting but the truck did not come at all… even at 11.00am. many of us who were not going to take the truck were at the lobby too, to hang around or to wait see them board the truck. it was at this time that i walked all over the hotel lobby to take photos and videos. best shot was of course to get out of the hotel just in front of the entrance where the steps are to spy for any interesting scenes to take photo/video. (pics and videos – lots)
however, somewhere near 12 noon, we were suddenly told that all of us can leave the hotel and go back penang from the thai tour guide. he said the bus we were travelling in (from penang) was parked at the bus terminal since there was no flood at that area. we had to take a truck to the bus terminal from our hotel (where flood water was sill knee deep).
so we prepared to pack our luggage and leave. uh…oh… walk down 9 floors with my luggage? i can’t! luckily a male colleague of mine who was at the same floor, help to carry my luggage all the way down to lobby (not forgetting carrying his own luggage too). so thankful to him.
ok, so all of us get ready to board the truck. it was a high open truck where we had to stand. the truck stop at the hotel’s side entrance. we had to wade through the knee deep water from our hotel entrance to the truck and it was quite a problem to get up on the high truck too, especially for senior ladies like me. i was among one of the first to go up and at that time they just use a motorcycle where a çart’ was attached, so we step up on the cart to go up the truck with the help of two men too. i found it difficult to get up so i had to sit sideway a bit to get up.
we were told luggage to go first so all of them form a chain to pass one by one the luggage to the truck. after all luggages were up on the truck, only then the people to go up. after a few of us earlier one had gone up, then only someone brought a ladder – aiyaa… should have brought it earlier so i can use it. using the ladder is sure much more easy to climb up the truck. (pic and video)
there were 30 of us packed in the truck with our 30 luggages (or more with the shopping on friday) and yet halfway, the truck stop to pick up 6 people at two stops…. so you can imagine how packed the truck was.
while on the truck journey, it rained most of the time. some of then had raincoat on and some had umbrellas. my umbrella a colleague was holding and trying to shield 3 of us! because of that, i only got to be shielded from the front and not the back. my backpack hanging at the back was all wet. i was standing somewhere centre too without the side to hold on but luckily i was standing next to all those bunch of luggage, so i hold on to the luggage. had to hold on… especially if the truck stop or jolted. at one time it did – and all those in front fell on each other but thank god not serous, just lightly. i feel too and used the luggage to back me while 2 of my colleagues also hold on to me.
when we reached the bus terminal, was so happy to see our bus and the area not flooded at all. ohh… problem going down again. this time they use the hard plastic road barrier for us to step on it, then a man hold us down. when it was my turn ,the man asked me to hug him while he carried me down! haha. old aunty lah.
after everyone were down from the truck, many of them wanted to go to the washroom to change. aiyaa… no need change lah… waste time only. no doubt our t-shirt or pants/shorts were dirty but we were going home already, why change. to me, we should quickly get out as soon as we reached the bus terminal. so i was one of the few (or maybe only me!) who didn’t change but went straight to the bus. in the bus i used wet tissue and dry tissue to wipe my t-shirt/shorts/bag/shoes – enough! why waste time to go washroom to change. the thing is that i was so scared of the flood may come on our way back, that's why i prefer we quickly board the bus and get out and not delayed on changing and trying to get clean.
i was praying hard that our bus journey back to penang would be smooth, especially when still in hatyai areas, that there will be no flood, that the bus’s engine will not stalled if passed by flood area. at one place, i notice the bus had to pass through a flooded area that was ankle-deep. it had to move very very slow…. luckily pass through without any problems.
before we reach the thai border, we went for er…. lunch? dinner? that time was around 4.00pm. we only had the porridge as breakfast at 9.00am and after that, nothing else. so naturally at this time we were super hungry. it was at a lovely restaurant called ‘maimoke’ (pic) that the thai tour guide told us belongs to a relative of him. very good food all around. better than the lunch food. (posted about it at my 'taste the food with lucia' facebook blog.)
i felt so relieved when we came to the malaysian border – out of hatyai at last! when we reached penang island, i think it was about 9.30pm.
epilogue
from 21 nov to 23 nov, the rain fell non stop, sometimes heavy, sometimes not so heavy but mostly heavy. oh it did stop at times but only stop for 10 mins, then started to rain again. when it rained, it rained longer… for hours but when it stop, it stop only 10 mins or so
it seems that a day after we left (24 nov), the flood get worst. phew! so we were very lucky to be out on 23 nov. we were informed that the area where our bus travelled to get to the border which was ankle deep that time, by 24 nov (or 25 nov?) the height reached to rooftop!! also the restaurant, maimoke, where we had a good meal, was flooded on 24 nov.
the hotel was around a corner and it was higher up with 4 steps on the front leading to the lobby. while we were there, the highest the water came to was at the 2nd step but after we left, i understand it went over the 4th (and last) step and the water went into the lobby. again, how lucky… and i would say blessed – thank god – we were out already.
yes all along, on 22 and 23 nov i did pray a lot so to me, i felt god is looking down on me, taking care of me, bringing me out safely. not forgeting the incident of a close call for us getting trapped in the lift – all thanks to GOD the almighty! i came home safely all because god loves me.
THE END. remember for pictures and videos, all are up at my facebook photo album.
following is for info – from google AI respond
the recent flooding in hat yai (late november 2025) is widely described by officials, residents, and media outlets as the worst in decades, and potentially the worst in 300 years based on rainfall data.
key points regarding the severity of the event:
- historic rainfall: hat yai recorded 335 mm of rain on november 21, 2025, which officials state is the highest single-day rainfall total in three centuries.
- comparison to past floods: the three-day accumulated rainfall of 595 mm surpassed the major floods of 2000 and 2010. experts and residents have compared the event's scale to floods from as far back as 1978, with some suggesting the 2025 flood may be worse.
- widespread impact: the flooding was extensive, with water levels reaching up to four meters in some areas, submerging vehicles and disrupting critical infrastructure, including hospitals and transport routes.
- official declarations: songkhla province was declared a disaster zone, and the situation prompted high-level emergency responses and mass evacuations.
while some reports use the "worst in decades" description, others, referencing the unprecedented rainfall levels, use "worst in 300 years". the consensus is that the 2025 flood is an exceptionally severe and historic natural disaster for the region.
notes/tips from me
– many guests who were on medication had bought only medication for 2 or 3 days, the period they were suppose to stay but with this unforeseen situation, they had to stay longer than they intended too, thus not enough medication.
so for your holiday, if you are on medication, do bring along the medication for many days and not only for the days you intend to stay.
– maybe good to bring along some food too like buns or biscuits.
– having a thai sim card is good as you get to receive emergency alerts from the government/authorities.
– understand (after the trip) that usually end of the year of nov. and dec. is moonson season for most countries,so advisable not to travel during end of the year, if possible.
