PADANG: Indonesian and Thai authorities raced on Sunday to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides across Southeast Asia topped 600.&nbsp;Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia this week, leaving thousands of people stranded without shelter or critical supplies.&nbsp;At least two areas of Indonesia&#39;s worst-affected Sumatra island were still unreachable on Sunday, and authorities said they had deployed two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid.&nbsp;Central Tapanuli and Sibolga city &quot;require full attention due to being isolated&quot;, National Disaster agency head Suharyanto said in a statement, adding that the ships were expected in Sibolga on Monday.&nbsp;The death toll in Indonesia rose to 442, while 402 were still missing, according to a tally published on Sunday by the disaster authority.&nbsp;It said at least 646 people had been injured.&nbsp;In Sungai Nyalo village, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from West Sumatra&#39;s capital Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded on Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles and crops coated in thick grey mud.&nbsp;Authorities had not yet begun clearing roads, residents told AFP, and no outside assistance had arrived.&nbsp;&quot;Most villagers chose to stay; they didn&#39;t want to leave their houses behind,&quot; said Idris, 55, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.&nbsp;Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.&nbsp;&nbsp;Public criticismIn Thailand, where at least 162 people were killed in one of the worst floods in a decade, authorities continued to deliver aid and clear the damage.&nbsp;Relief measures rolled out by the Thai government include compensation of up to two million baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.&nbsp;However, there has been growing public criticism of Thailand&#39;s flood response, and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.&nbsp;Two people were killed in Malaysia after floods left stretches of northern Perlis state underwater.&nbsp;The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.&nbsp;A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.&nbsp;Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.

Asia

Deadly monsoon floods and landslides across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia have killed over 600 people, left hundreds missing, isolated communities, and drawn criticism of disaster responses, with climate change worsening storm intensity and rainfall.

Indonesia, Thailand race to find missing as flooding toll tops 600

BANGKOK: Thailand announced on Monday it was suspending the implementation of a peace agreement with neighboring Cambodia after a landmine blast injured two Thai soldiers near the border. The deal, overseen by US President Donald Trump, was meant to secure a lasting end to hostilities following border clashes in July that killed at least 43 people and displaced more than 300,000 civilians on both sides. The Royal Thai Army said in a statement that the mine explosion in Sisaket province left one soldier with a severe leg injury, while pressure from the blast caused another to withstand chest pains. Thai government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that Bangkok will cease &quot;the follow-up to the joint declaration&quot;, meaning the accord with Cambodia inked in Kuala Lumpur in late October, months after the two sides had agreed a ceasefire. The next steps planned as part of the agreement&#39;s implementation included the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers detained in Thailand. &lsquo;Unwavering commitment&rsquo;Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a press conference that &quot;we thought that the security threat had eased, but it has not actually decreased.&quot; Cambodian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident, but have in the past denied Thai accusations of planting new landmines along the border. Cambodia&#39;s defense ministry pledged in a statement on Monday an &quot;unwavering commitment&quot; to peace. The Southeast Asian neighbors have a dispute over parts of their border dating back more than a century, but July&#39;s fighting was sparked by Thailand&#39;s claims that Cambodia planted landmines that wounded its troops.

The Royal Thai Army said in a statement that the mine explosion in Sisaket province left one soldier with a severe leg injury, while pressure from the blast caused another to withstand chest pains.

Thailand suspends Cambodia deal after landmine injures troops

BANGKOK: The year-long funeral ceremony of Thailand&#39;s former Queen Sirikit started on Sunday, with grieving royalists set to salute the procession bringing her remains to lie in state at Bangkok&#39;s Grand Palace. The royal family is venerated in Thailand, treated by many as semi-divine figures and lavished with glowing media coverage and gold-adorned portraits hanging in public spaces and private homes nationwide. Former Queen Sirikit, the mother of the current King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the nation&#39;s longest-reigning monarch, died late Friday at the age of 93. Digital advertising billboards in the Thai capital are displaying towering black tributes to the royal matriarch, while citizens have been asked to wear dark tones and curtail celebratory public events. The former queen&#39;s body is due late on Sunday afternoon to make the short trip from Chulalongkorn Hospital to the seat of the Thai royalty, where she will lie in state for one year before cremation. Throughout her 66-year marriage to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sirikit carved a dual reputation as a glittering fashionista and the nation&#39;s caring mother figure. Some Western media compared Sirikit favourably to former US first lady Jackie Kennedy in rapturous coverage of her tenure on the front pages of their glossy magazines. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul delayed his departure to Malaysia on Saturday for a summit of ASEAN leaders where he was due to sign a peace deal with Cambodia, witnessed by US President Donald Trump. But he still jetted out for a quick turnaround endorsement of the pact, made after cross-border clashes in July killed more than 40 people and forced around 300,000 to flee their homes. &quot;I send my condolences to the Great People of Thailand,&quot; Trump said on social media, en route to Malaysia on Sunday morning. &quot;In order to accommodate everyone for this major event, we will be signing the Peace Deal immediately upon arrival.&quot; Sirikit&#39;s husband King Bhumibol Adulyadej&#39;s lengthy reign from 1946 until 2016 was bookended by World War II and Trump&#39;s first inauguration. Though Bhumibol&#39;s son inherited the throne about nine years ago, many still revere him as the nation&#39;s most steadfast figurehead -- and Sirikit as his constant companion. She retired from the public eye in recent years, her privacy sealed by strict lese majeste laws that limit what can be reported about the royal family. Sirikit had &quot;suffered several illnesses&quot; while hospitalized since 2019, including a blood infection this month, the palace said in a statement. But in her glamorous heyday in the 1960s she mingled with US presidents and superstars such as Elvis Presley, while at home touring Thailand to visit villagers in rural areas. She was referred to as the &quot;Mother of the Nation&quot; and her birthday was designated the country&#39;s Mothers&#39; Day.

Thailand’s former Queen Sirikit, revered as the “Mother of the Nation,” died at 93. Her year-long funeral began Sunday in Bangkok. Citizens mourn publicly, while the royal family remains central to Thailand’s cultural and political life.

Year-long funeral starts for Thailand's former queen Sirikit

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ISLAMABAD: Malaysia and the United States will facilitate a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Tuesday. Mohamad said he hopes the ceasefire will be signed during the upcoming ASEAN leaders meeting in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28, Reuters reported. The Malaysian foreign minister said that US President Donald Trump would be in Malaysia on October 26.&nbsp; Five-day conflict&nbsp;Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia over undemarcated points along their 817-km (508-mile) land border erupted into a deadly five-day conflict in July. The worst fighting between the two countries in over a decade saw at least 48 people killed and hundreds of thousands temporarily displaced on both sides. US role&nbsp;On July 28, 2025, US President Donald Trump, in a post on social media, announced that both countries had reached a ceasefire.&nbsp; He stated: &quot;Just spoke to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand and Prime Minister of Cambodia. I am pleased to announce that, after the involvement of President Donald J. Trump, both Countries have reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE... I am proud to be the President of PEACE!&quot;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1949852573063618656&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=a5f79aa1301ada6679a4d5a7cf4559c93101e530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1949852573063618656"></iframe></div></div>

Malaysian foreign minister says Malaysia and the United States will facilitate a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia; says US President Donald Trump will be in Malaysia on October 26. 

Thailand, Cambodia to sign ceasefire at ASEAN summit: Malaysian minister 

BANGKOK &mdash; Thailand&rsquo;s new prime minister told lawmakers on Monday that his government would address the country&rsquo;s economic woes, find solutions to the ongoing border conflict with Cambodia through diplomacy and push for a new and more democratic constitution. Anutin Charnvirakul faces a self-imposed deadline. He had promised to call elections in four months in exchange for the People&rsquo;s Party &mdash; which holds the most seats in Parliament &mdash; supporting his bid to become prime minister. He was elected in Parliament earlier this month.&nbsp;The party has a progressive platform and has long sought to change the existing constitution imposed under military rule, saying it wants to make it more democratic. Anutin had promised to call a referendum for an elected constituent assembly to draft a new charter.&nbsp;He said in his inaugural speech in Parliament on Monday that his government will support the referendum and public participation to uphold the country&rsquo;s constitutional monarchy.&nbsp;Anutin also promised to tackle corruption and crime and &ldquo;restore faith and happiness to the Thai people.&rdquo;&nbsp;Anutin is constricted in what he can do by the four-month deadline, but also the terms of his deal with the People&rsquo;s Party, which declared it would act as the opposition in the legislature, potentially voting against Anutin&#39;s initiatives.&nbsp;Thai government will also seek to relieve household debt and reduce the rising cost of electricity, gasoline and transport, and move to alleviate fallouts from trade wars and U.S. tariff policy, Anutin said.&nbsp;He told lawmakers he will push for a referendum on whether Thailand should revoke the existing memorandum of understanding on border issues with Cambodia.&nbsp;The two neighbors engaged in a five-day armed conflict in late July that killed dozens of civilians and soldiers and displaced more than 260,000 people. The countries&rsquo; competing territorial claims have not been resolved, and the risk of further fighting remains high despite a cease-fire agreement.&nbsp;Anutin also said the government will crack down on illegal gambling and strive to improve the country&#39;s natural disaster alert system, promote clean energy and tackle air pollution.&nbsp;Anutin, who heads the Bhumjaithai Party, succeeded the Pheu Thai Party&rsquo;s Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She was dismissed after being found guilty of ethics violations over a politically compromising phone call with Cambodia&rsquo;s Senate President Hun Sen.&nbsp;

Thailand’s new PM Anutin Charnvirakul pledges economic reform, a democratic constitution, and diplomatic resolution to the Cambodia border conflict, while facing a four-month deadline and opposition pressure from the People’s Party.

Articles tagged with "Thailand"

Indonesia, Thailand race to find missing as flooding toll tops 600

Thailand suspends Cambodia deal after landmine injures troops

Year-long funeral starts for Thailand's former queen Sirikit

Thailand, Cambodia to sign ceasefire at ASEAN summit: Malaysian minister

Thailand's new PM promises to tackle Cambodia border conflict and constitutional reforms

Indonesia, Thailand race to find missing as flooding toll tops 600