SURAT THANI, Thailand – Heavy rain has flooded part of Highway 401 in Surat Thani, leaving the route impassable to small vehicles and leading officials to evacuate Thai and foreign tourists from the affected area on 19 September.

Thailand Issues Heavy Rain Warning with 80% Storm Forecast for Bangkok

Official sources on site have told Thailand News that Highway 401 is fully open today, Sunday, September 20, and vehicles can travel on it without any problems.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation sent officers to Khlong Sok subdistrict, where floodwater made travel difficult, with the area being on a key road corridor used by travellers heading between Surat Thani and Thailand’s Andaman coast.

Floodwater covered Highway 401 at kilometre 66+600, formerly marked as kilometre 85+000, and small vehicles were unable to pass through the flooded stretch. The DDPM’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Centre Region 11 in Surat Thani deployed a high-clearance rescue vehicle to reach people through deep water and assist with the evacuation of tourists.

The Surat Thani Highway District 3 temporarily closed the affected section of the highway, and motorists travelling towards Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga have been told to use Highway 4118 as an alternative route while the closure remains in place.

Heavy Rain Puts All Thai Provinces On Flood Alert

Khlong Sok is close to Khao Sok National Park, a major destination for overseas visitors, including travellers continuing to Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga after visiting Surat Thani province.

-Thailand News (TN)