Another Thai insurance operator, Mohd Uzair Mohamad Daud, said he would propose to the Consulate General of Malaysia that the number of tow trucks be increased.

“At the moment, only 15 tow trucks have been approved, but I believe this is not enough because there are many vehicles to be recovered and each truck can only handle three to five vehicles a day,” he said.

Meanwhile, tow truck operator Mohd Akmal Aniq Shahabudin said one of the main challenges was locating vehicles that had been moved or swept away by floodwaters.

He said lifting a vehicle onto a tow truck could take up to an hour and a half, depending on its condition.

“When we find the car, some are blocked or trapped under other vehicles. To protect the vehicle, we use support tyres to move it before loading it onto the tow truck, and we try to make sure any parts that can still be saved are not damaged,” he said.

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