Frenchman missing after boat capsizes

An elderly French tourist went missing on Saturday after his tour boat capsized in strong winds in the reservoir at the Rajjaprabha Dam in Ban Ta Khun district of Surat Thani, local authorities said.
Rene Mary Corre, age unknown, was among 13 people on a longtailed boat that was taking a group of 10 French tourists from a pier to their raft-house on the reservoir. The other three passengers were a tour guide, a caregiver and the boat operator.
While the group was sightseeing at Khao Sam Kloe, strong winds ripped through the area and high waves caused the boat to capsize. Park officials rushed to the scene and managed to rescue 12 people.
Authorities said they were also checking if the missing man had been rescued by another tourist boat nearby. Another group of French tourists was travelling in a separate boat when the incident occurred.
Two of the tourists complained of chest tightness and were taken to Ban Ta Khun Hospital for a checkup, while another tourist was sent to Surat Thani after choking on water.
The boat operator was questioned about the incident, and the rest of the tourists were brought back to the pier for safety.
Elsewhere in the South, four districts in Phatthalung were declared disaster areas on Saturday as heavy rain continued to batter much of the region, authorities said.
Residents in 57 villages across the districts of Muang, Sri Banphot, Sri Nakharin and Khuan Khanun were severely affected by heavy rains and strong winds.
The worst-hit area was tambon Prangmoo in Muang district, where floodwaters reached 40–50 centimetres, overflowing the flood barrier.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said more than 3,000 households in Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Chumphon had been affected by flooding in recent days.
However, the situation in Chumphon had eased, with 1,745 households in Phatthalung and Nakhon Si Thammarat still grappling with high water.
The department said the flooding in the southern region was caused by heavy rainfall brought on by strong northeastern winds covering the Gulf of Thailand.