Flooding blocks Highway 401 as officials evacuate tourists
SURAT THANI — 19 September 2026, Heavy rain has caused flooding along Highway 401 in Surat Thani, leaving the road impassable for small vehicles and prompting authorities to evacuate Thai and foreign tourists from the affected area. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) sent officers to assist tourists in Khlong Sok subdistrict, where […] The post Flooding blocks Highway 401…
Surat Thani — On September 19th, 2026, torrential rain unleashed flooding along Highway 401 in Surat Thani, rendering the road impassable for smaller vehicles. Thai and international tourists were forced to evacuate the impacted region due to the hazardous conditions. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) dispatched officials to aid those in the Khlong Sok subdistrict, where the inundation impeded travel.
Floodwater inundated the roadway surface of Highway 401 at kilometer 66+600, previously marked as kilometer 85+000. Vehicles with limited ground clearance were unable to traverse the submerged portion of the highway. The DDPM’s Regional Center 11 in Surat Thani deployed a high-clearance rescue vehicle designed to navigate deep floodwaters to assist in evacuating tourists from the hazardous area.
The Surat Thani Highway District 3 (Wiang Sa) promptly closed the affected segment of Highway 401 and recommended motorists to utilize Highway 4118 as an alternative route when heading towards Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga. Authorities implored residents and tourists alike to exercise heightened vigilance while navigating the area and to strictly adhere to the directives issued by the officials as the situation continued to unfold.
Written by urgent.news from Khaosod English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
