People wade through floodwaters following heavy rain in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat on Dec 25, 2023. (Photo: AFP/Madaree Tohlala)

BANGKOK: Floods caused by intense rainfall have affected tens of thousands of people in Thailand's deep south, officials said on Monday (Dec 25), with some roads and railway lines forced to close.

At least a dozen schools in the provinces of Yala and Narathiwat have been forced to close, while footage from the region showed homes and shops inundated with murky brown waters and residents taking refuge on upper floors.

The heavy rains have also caused problems at sea, with at least seven boats sunk in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea since Friday.

The kingdom's state railway company said track subsidence meant that trains heading south to the Malaysian border were stopping at Yala, 100km away.

Authorities have warned residents in the provinces to be ready to evacuate if the floods get worse.

A house is seen submerged in floodwaters following heavy rain in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat on Dec 25, 2023. (Photo: AFP/Madaree Tohlala)

People wear rain ponchos as they ride in the back of a vehicle as it drives through floodwaters following heavy rain in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat on Dec 25, 2023. (Photo: AFP/Madaree Tohlala)