Hat Yai was supposed to be “unsinkable.” | The Signal EP.1
But on November 21st, 2025, the South’s economic engine—worth 5 billion dollars to Thailand’s GDP—vanished underwater. A chain of extreme weather events, historic rainfall, and unexpected failures in water management pushed residents onto rooftops and shut down nearly every major industry in the city.
In this episode of The Signal, we cut through the noise and investigate: 🌧️ What really happened in Hat Yai? Over three days, the city endured record-shattering storms that dumped rainfall unmatched for centuries. What followed was a rapid cascade of failures: rivers overflowed, canals breached their banks, and drainage systems collapsed under the massive volume of water.
🌆 Why the “unsinkable” city failed Hat Yai had been regarded as a model for flood management, with advanced predictive systems and a suite of infrastructure projects designed to keep the city safe. Yet rapid land development diverted natural runoff pathways, slowing the flow of water that once escaped quickly to the sea.
⚠️ A bigger warning for Thailand and the region Earlier in 2025, northern Thailand faced its worst flooding in decades, and the country’s vulnerability to climate hazards has risen sharply. Thailand has now moved up to 17th on the global Climate Risk Index—a dramatic shift from its 72nd position just a few years prior. At the same time, countries across Asia faced parallel tragedies, from deadly floods in Indonesia and Malaysia to lethal landslides in Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
⁉️ Political fallout and the questions that follow The government’s response came under intense scrutiny, with criticism aimed at slow warnings, delayed mobilization, and confusion over who held emergency authority.
Hat Yai’s disaster is no longer a local tragedy. It’s a preview of Thailand’s future—and a wake-up call for the region. This is The Signal. We cut through the noise. Reported by Benjamin Rujopakarn.
