Severe flooding is threatening to shut down Hat Yai, the commercial centre of the lower South, as days of heavy downpours have deluged areas close to downtown.
Flood levels in surrounding areas, including Kuanlung, Kohong and Klonghae municipalities, averaged 1-1.5 metres, he said.
Authorities were monitoring the inner city in order to protect it from being swamped, which would cause millions of baht of damage as it was expected to rain from today until Friday.
Reports said canals and reservoirs had filled nearly to capacity and one reservoir was already over its holding capacity.
Songkhla has been swimming in water since last Wednesday when it was hit hard by torrential rains and then the showers continued until Sunday.
Vijit Jantarapharn, chief of the Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said in the afternoon that five districts - Hat Yai, Rattapoom, Klong Hoikong, Kuannieng and Bang Klam - were still affected.
The high waters forced 124 schools to be closed, he said.
The severest floods to hit the province and also downtown Hat Yai were in 2000 when the losses mounted to billions of baht, he said.
Songkhla Governor Winyoo Thongsakul said the province requested five big water pumps from other provinces to discharge floodwaters from Hat Yai and Kuanlung, Kohong and Klonghae. The pumps were in the process of being transported to the province.
"All the 16 district chiefs and other local administrative organisation officials have been told to approve urgent budgets to help people in the flooded areas. And if the approved budgets are not enough, they can request more from City Hall," Winyoo said.
Anucha Mokkhawes, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said 60,000 people in 18,000 households in 61 tambon in the South were affected, while 2,800 people had been evacuated to higher ground.
Total property damage was estimated at Bt44 million so far.
Four provinces - Songkhla, Phatthalung, Yala and Narathiwat - had suffered the most from the floods.
All 13 districts in Narathiwat and all 16 districts in Songkhla have been declared disaster areas due to high level of floodwater.