The death toll from the worst floods in decades in southern Thailand and northern Malaysia climbed to at least 12 on Saturday, authorities said, as tens of thousands of people were evacuated due to rising water levels in the past three days.

Flooding in northern Malaysia and southern Thailand has killed at least eight people and forced tens of thousands from their homes, officials in both countries said on Friday.

Malaysia prepared for its worst floods in a decade after heavier-than-expected monsoon rains caused severe flooding that killed three people and displaced more than 80,000