Nearly a million people have been affected by more than a week of unseasonably heavy downpours across the region with tens of thousands of families cut off from air and land transport.

Trains to the region have been canceled and three airports have been shut, including one on the resort island of Koh Samui which is popular among Thai and foreign tourists.

Several main roads and highways have been blocked by floods.

The Thai navy sent four vessels including an amphibious landing craft with on-board helicopters to the rubber-rich region to deliver supplies and rescue tourists and villagers in areas severely hit.

Reuters