Hat yai: Fifteen Malaysian tow trucks have been allowed to enter Thailand to help retrieve vehicles belonging to Malaysians stranded in flood-hit Hat Yai. Thai insurance operator Ammar Wafiy Johari said the approval was granted by the Thai authorities through the Consulate General of Malaysia in Songkhla.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, previously, Malaysian tow trucks were not allowed to enter Thailand, but in this situation, the consulate discussed with the Thai authorities to allow the trucks into Hat Yai. It is estimated that there are more than 200 Malaysian vehicles stuck there following the floods since November 22.

He mentioned that 15 vehicles had been brought out since yesterday, and about 45 vehicles could be recovered a day, depending on their condition. Ammar Wafiy stated that once the vehicles are brought back to Malaysia, they will be placed at a secure location before being sent to their owners as requested. To release the stranded vehicles, owners must provide several documents, including road tax, vehicle insurance, and customs forms.

Another Thai insurance operator, Mohd Uzair Mohamad Daud, expressed the need to propose an increase in the number of tow trucks to the Consulate General of Malaysia. He noted that currently, only 15 tow trucks have been approved, which he believes is insufficient given the number of vehicles to be recovered, with each truck handling only three to five vehicles a day.

Meanwhile, tow truck operator Mohd Akmal Aniq Shahabudin highlighted the challenge of locating vehicles that had been moved or swept away by floodwaters. He explained that lifting a vehicle onto a tow truck could take up to an hour and a half, depending on its condition. In situations where cars are blocked or trapped under other vehicles, support tyres are used to move them before loading onto the tow truck to ensure that any salvageable parts are not damaged.

Yesterday, Malaysian Consul General in Songkhla, Ahmad Fahmi Ahmad Sarkawi, reported that over 500 Malaysian-owned vehicles were stranded in Hat Yai due to the floods. The government had requested permission for Malaysian tow trucks to enter Thailand to assist in bringing the vehicles home.