The resulting flood rose up to the second floor, trapping a Malaysian family of 15 inside a four-storey hotel, including an 80-year-old woman and a six-year-old girl. Coming to their aid were surprisingly familiar faces: fellow Malaysians serving as volunteer firefighters, who had joined the Thai authorities’ rescue operations. - Photo: Md Arif ZaidullahLittle-known volunteer firefighters step upLeong is a member of the Sungai Petani Volunteer Fire Association from the northern Malaysian state of Kedah, which belongs a little-known network of volunteer firefighters operating in Malaysia. Leong said that both the Thais and the Malaysian tourists were surprised to see Malaysian volunteer rescuers on the ground. An offroad vehicle from the Sungai Petani Volunteer Fire Association parked on a flooded street in Hat Yai, Thailand.

Source: The Star January 31, 2026 18:39 UTC