The end of the year brings seasonal changes to much of the world. In parts of Southeast Asia, it means monsoon season — and this year the rains are heavy — and so is the flooding.
About 900 miles south of Bangkok, a strip of southern Thailand gives way to Malaysia.
A long stretch of the Andaman Sea features haunting sunsets to the west — and this time of year, powerful rains.
The Gulf of Thailand lies just to the east — making this narrow piece of land vulnerable to storms.
Monsoon season in this part of the world usually starts in October and lingers until March.
In recent days, flooding has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes across five provinces of southern Thailand — and six states in Malaysia.
Some of the most powerful rains have hit the border area.
More than 28,000 people in Malaysia have been evacuated.
Government officials on the other side of the border say some 20,000 Thai households have also been forced to move.
Roads and railway tracks are both underwater. Trains have stopped running in the border area. Schools have closed. Rice fields have been flooded.
Two years ago, when Malaysia was hit with heavy flooding, the government promised mitigation projects based in part on the expectation of more intense storms.
Critics say those projects have been delayed. The prime minister headed to the region today to see the damages firsthand.
