The chief of Songkhla’s Thepha district has swiftly denied shocking allegations that villagers from the Tha Muang district robbed a team of volunteers delivering flood relief on Sunday, December 1. The accusations, made in a now-deleted social media post, caused widespread panic but officials insisted it was a misunderstanding.
Traisulee Taisaranakul, the spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, revealed today that the claims of a group of 20 men attacking the rescue team were incorrect. Quoting district chief Ekkachai Kaewrattana, she clarified that the villagers simply asked for relief items and had not stolen anything.
Ekkachai further explained that the loud manner in which southerners speak might have alarmed the volunteers, who misinterpreted the situation as an attempt to rob them.
“The volunteers were startled. The villagers were only asking for necessities.”
The incident began when a Songkhla social media influencer posted a call for help for the flood victims, prompting a swift response from Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Pracha Ruamjai Foundation. A team of volunteers arrived with essential supplies but once on-site some villagers approached the group hoping for aid. Ekkachai confirmed that the district chief spoke directly with the social media poster and the inflammatory post was removed.
Channel 7 reported yesterday that the team, which had travelled in seven trucks, had to switch to boats to cross a submerged railway track. They claimed that 20 men surrounded them and demanded the supplies. As tensions escalated, more villagers reportedly helped themselves to the items, with some warning the team about the area’s dangers after dark.
The district chief is now working with the influencer and the foundation to clarify the situation, ensuring the public receives the true account of events, reported The Nation.
In related news, flood chaos in Songkhla and the wider Deep South has left the Malaysian market in tatters, forcing a total wipeout of hotel and tour bookings in Hat Yai for the next two weekends.
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