Southeast Asia’s year of relentless storms

It has been a year of powerful storms and relentless typhoons across Southeast Asia. Weeks of heavy rain have triggered severe flooding across parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, damaging infrastructure, disrupting transport and forcing temporary closures of attractions and key travel routes in the affected areas.

Nearly three million people in the Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla have been affected, with hundreds of thousands sheltered in evacuation centres. Hat Yai, the provincial capital, recorded its heaviest rainfall in 15 years, resulting in widespread flooding, airport closures and flight cancellations. More than 10,000 foreign tourists have been impacted, according to the Bangkok Post.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has activated a Crisis Tourism Monitoring Centre to support travellers, while six airlines – Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, Nok Air and Thai Vietjet Air – are offering date changes, refunds or travel credits.

Although water levels are beginning to recede, recovery remains the priority. All 10 sports originally planned for Songkhla at the 2025 SEA Games (9–20 December) will now be relocated to Bangkok, except for wrestling, which moves to Pacific Park Sriracha in Chonburi.

Major destinations on the Andaman coast, including Phuket, Krabi and Phang-Nga, remain open, though travellers heading south are advised to check conditions before travelling.

Anam Group’s founder and chairman Pham Van Hien distributing relief packages with his team.

Recovery is ongoing across five central Vietnamese provinces after catastrophic floods and landslides claimed at least 98 lives in the past week. Vietnam has endured 14 major storms this year, including Typhoon Verbena, which brought widespread flooding to Hoi An, Da Nang and Nha Trang. Hanoi also suffered two floods within two weeks.

Local hospitality groups such as The Anam have mobilised relief aid, donating over VND 500 million and distributing packages in Khanh Hoa and Dak Lak. Tourists have also joined donation efforts on the ground.

Other major destinations, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, remain unaffected.

Elsewhere, Malaysia is experiencing heavy rainfall as the Northeast Monsoon sets in, with Kelantan among the worst-hit states. In Indonesia, widespread flooding and landslides in Sumatra have killed at least 84 people, with dozens still missing.

Scientists caution that climate change is amplifying extreme rainfall events across the region – raising the likelihood of flash floods, landslides and river surges and underscoring the growing need for climate-resilient infrastructure and tourism planning.