Typhoon Warning For Thailand - Storm Muifa

[fatter than harry]

Dammmit I take one bloody holiday in 3 years and a typhoon decides to meet me there, I'm going to Samui anyway, let me know if anyone wants me to check on their cats.

[sbk]

Let me give you the benefit of my 16 years experience living in the islands. Every year a typhoon (or several) hits the Phillipines, passes over Vietnam and comes into the Gulf. It usually looks like it is heading straight here but only once (1989) has it actually come this far south. Normally, the winds push the typhoon up to Prachuap. My husband has lived on this island his entire life (he is 36) and remembers one direct hit, when he was 5.

Now, where I live the reef is quite far out; with Typhoon Gay the reef protected us from the ocean, the tide was out quite far, although waves still came over the reef. The winds were quite high, but much higher on Koh Tao which is only 60km north. Every boat that had come into Koh Tao to ride out the storm sank while only one sank here. We had no damage to our house but then we have no coconuts around it.

Now, I am not saying that it will miss us again, I am just saying that the Thai people perhaps have a bit more experience with this than you do and realize that panic does little, and that, short of leaving, there is little you can do. Me, I am staying. I live right on the beach and am personally not afraid. Maybe I am foolish but, like I said, I went through Typhoon Gay and have a good idea what's in store IF it even comes this way.

[Zoltan]

Time will tell... If its like the Carribean things have been getting worse the last few years

[Boh Bpen Yang]

Wow the timing huh? Right on Loy Krathong

[Ned]

This thing looks like a tropical storm or depression. Doesn't look like a typhoon at this stage. If you're getting worried head off to a solid building somewhere and don't risk walking around the street amongst the flying sheets of corrugated iron and other dangerous debris. As the PM says: "No problem."

[lopburi3]

Let me give you the benefit of my 16 years experience living in the islands. Every year a typhoon (or several) hits the Phillipines, passes over Vietnam and comes into the Gulf. It usually looks like it is heading straight here but only once (1989) has it actually come this far south. Normally, the winds push the typhoon up to Prachuap. My husband has lived on this island his entire life (he is 36) and remembers one direct hit, when he was 5.

Now, where I live the reef is quite far out; with Typhoon Gay the reef protected us from the ocean, the tide was out quite far, although waves still came over the reef. The winds were quite high, but much higher on Koh Tao which is only 60km north. Every boat that had come into Koh Tao to ride out the storm sank while only one sank here. We had no damage to our house but then we have no coconuts around it.

Now, I am not saying that it will miss us again, I am just saying that the Thai people perhaps have a bit more experience with this than you do and realize that panic does little, and that, short of leaving, there is little you can do. Me, I am staying. I live right on the beach and am personally not afraid. Maybe I am foolish but, like I said, I went through Typhoon Gay and have a good idea what's in store IF it even comes this way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You also know the damage Gay did to people who never expected the force it had. This seems to be only a Cat 1 storm when it hits (if it hits) you at about noon Friday but I would not count on it moving north as there is a strong cold front extending through Bangkok now that is most likely going to keep it on a due West path. I would be making sure I had enough supplies in a safe location to last a few days at least. FYI: my home was in Homestead, FL when Andrew hit so I know what can happen in a strong one. Had many in the PI in the four years I lived there. The fact is that few Thai have any experience with wind from typhoons as almost all cross Vietnam/Cambodia and spend themselves before hitting Thailand with heavy rain.

[surfercaesar]

HI gUYS,

i'M HERE IN mANILA RIGHT NOW SO DO be cautious of this typhoon it created a lot of damage and flush floods here in the Philippines.

It can pick up strenght when it gets there thru warm waters hopefully alll will be well but I've texed my wife to get ready. You all have 72 hours.

Good luck to all who lives by Phuket and Samui.

[Kan Win]

Wow the timing huh?  Right on Loy Krathong

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looks to me that BKK, Kan and all down south of Thailand will have a washed out Loy Krathong then.

What a damper.

Qus.. Is this good or bad luck for Thailand if it rains during Loy Krathong ?? and you are in the rain ?? trying to float your Krathong ??

Kan Win

[el gaucho]

I'm in Thailand (Bangkok, then Chang Mai) next Wednesday: do I need to be worried?

[george]

Update:

Thais warned of powerful typhoon

BANGKOK: -- The government has warned Thai people of a powerful typhoon which is expected to strike the country's southern region over the next couple of days.

The government has warned that the Mui Fa Typhoon is highly likely to hit the country's southern provinces, particularly Chumphon and Surat Thaini, later this week.

The Mui Fa Typhoon is believed to be as powerful as the Gay Typhoon, which devastated many provinces in the South of the country several years ago.

The new typhoon is also expected to affect areas in Thailand's central and northeastern regions widely.

"Thai people, especially those in the South, should, therefore, be well prepared for the Mui Fa Typhoon; while state officials are on high alert to assist people and areas affected by the typhoon", the government said in a statement released to TNA today.

--TNA 2004-11-23

[lopburi3]

As of 1 PM, 24 Nov Thai time the Typhoon is about 1 degree South of the plot show on post here and should hit between Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat in about 36 hours with max winds of 60 knots and gusts to 75 knots. This is prediction from Weather Underground

Thai TV has been giving coverage today but it is expected to be much less severe than Gay was - flooding is expected however.

Did not notice anything in Bangkok Post.

[taxexile]

...................Did not notice anything in Bangkok Post..........................

dont worry lop , nobody ever notices anything in the bangkok post !

[Axel]

Vietnam newspapers announced landfall south of Saigon for today.

Since 3:00 pm heavy rain here in Saigon.

Hope, the strength will be broken after hitting land.

[lopburi3]

It appears to be almost completely south of most of Vietnam on the present course of 8.7 degrees so don't expect land will kill it.

The Bangkok Post used (several decades ago) to be a really good newspaper and year after year hope it will return to that category.

[taxexile]

...

Edited November 24, 2004 by taxexile

[DaveYo]

Hmmmm, just looked at the Weather here disc jockeys. I see here they say waves max 16 feet high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is damno near to a Tusanami, or Tidal Wave. Always have a hard time spelling that one word.

Now lets see 16 feet. Imagine two people standing one on top of another and both are 6 feet and a half tall. This wave tops their heads my friends.

By the way trust me on this much. That wave itself has loads of POWER behind it. It will push your tushie faster than a surf board. Don't play games with a WAVE that tall.

Small example, say your in the water waist high and a small wave comes on you. Repeat small wave. Did you ever notice how it pushes you towards the shore????????????? Usually those waves are gentle.

Well, a 16 footer will not be gentle. That son of a gun is going to crush you.

Daveyo

[jaidam]

Hmmmm, just looked at the Weather here disc jockeys. I see here they say waves max 16 feet high!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is damno near to a Tusanami, or Tidal Wave. Always have a hard time spelling that one word.

Now lets see 16 feet. Imagine two people standing one on top of another and both are 6 feet and a half tall. This wave tops their heads my friends.

By the way trust me on this much. That wave itself has loads of POWER behind it. It will push your tushie faster than a surf board. Don't play games with a WAVE that tall.

Small example, say your in the water waist high and a small wave comes on you. Repeat small wave. Did you ever notice how it pushes you towards the shore????????????? Usually those waves are gentle.

Well, a 16 footer will not be gentle. That son of a gun is going to crush you.

Daveyo

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Dave come on man get a grip!

A 16 foot wave may well be considered a Tsunami if it occurred in your neck of the woods(which is about 1000 miles from the nearest sea), but I can assure you that a 16 foot-5 meter wave is perfectly normal in the open ocean.

Waves like that are the norm in the North Sea and wouldnt make any fisherman or rig worker run for cover.

[george]

Transcript from radiobangkok.net:

Tropical storm Muifa is expected to hit the gulf of Thailand today.

Many fear the storm may bring as much havoc as Typhon gay in 1989,

which killed over five hundred people. The approaching storm has

stranded hundreds on ko Tao as small ferries have been reluctant to

brave the swells to Surat Thani.

Officials have set up emergency centers in Chumphon. Forecasters say the storm is moving at about ninety miles per hour.

The governor has ordered all government agencies to have rescue equipment and vehicles on a 24-hour standby. Coastal districts have banned fishing boats and other types of vessels from sailing, until they know the storm has passed.

--Radio Bangkok 2004-11-25

[george]

Rush to help tourists stranded on Koh Tao

SURAT THANI, Nov 24 (TNA) – Local officials on Koh Tao off the coast of Thailand's southern province of Surat Thani today rushed to the assistance of over 3,000 tourists stranded on the island by heavy seas.

The last batch of tourists was shipped off the island this afternoon in a boat with a capacity of 200.

High waves of up to five metres mean that the small vessels normally used to transport tourists to and from the island have been forced to remain on shore.

--TNA 2004-11-25

[sbk]

Looks to be headed to the deep south from the tracking map. According to Thai TV the main force of it will hit Pattani, Songkhla etc. We are starting to get clouds and rain, a bit of wind. It will still be a nasty storm but I am glad to not be in the eye of it! They evacuated tourists from Koh Tao mainly because they worry about running out of food. This happens every year, typhoon or not.

and this one

[lopburi3]

Looks the same as yesterday with landfall between Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat at about 10 PM today. Have no idea where Thai TV got information about further South. But it should be far enough away to keep major winds out of the islands so maybe those evacuated will get more now that they are in Surat Thani if they have not moved on.

[VTR1000]

Live from Nakhonsithammarat ......

Most of the schools in the area were closed mid morning and will remain closed tomorrow. Local officials are saying land fall will be in the Tha Sala / Sichon area in Nakhonsithammarat Province some time later today.

As I look out of my window now, it's actually looking quite pleasant with no wind or rain ... yet! Calm before the storm maybe?

A 16 foot wave may well be considered a Tsunami if it occurred in your neck of the woods(which is about 1000 miles from the nearest sea), but I can assure you that a 16 foot-5 meter wave is perfectly normal in the open ocean.

Waves like that are the norm in the North Sea and wouldnt make any fisherman or rig worker run for cover.

Yes Jaidam, but the Gulf is not the North Sea and is usually home to fairly sheltered waters. Also the coastline here in most areas is largely unprotected, flat and low which is a potential recipe for disaster in my eyes. When typhoon Gay hit this coast whole villages were destroyed and hundreds of people killed. You only need to look at what happened to Songkhla, Phattalung and Nakhon Provinces in 2000/1 to see the damage that flood water can do ..... and that was only from a series of heavy rainstorms.

[mouse]

For the latest in sat images go to my site at http://members.cscoms.com/~mglatz and click on the sat image on the right.

Good luck to those living down there.

[Ajarn]

Batten down the hatches!

[george]

Update:

'Mui Fa storm to hit Thailand's southern coasts

BANGKOK, Nov 25 (TNA) - A powerful tropical storm, named 'Mui Fa', is expected to strike Thailand's southern coastal provinces Thusday night, the Meteorological Department has warned.

The 'Mui Fa' tropical storm was now in the Gulf of Thailand and was moving toward the country's southern coastal provinces at a speed of 20 kilometres per hour, the weather bureau cautioned in its latest statement released to local media this morning.

It was expected that the 'Mui Fa' tropical storm could hit the country's Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat Provinces tonight, said the statement.

A senior Meteorological Department official told journalists here this morning that it was likely that the powerful tropical storm would strike the two southern provinces by 02:00 a.m. tomorrow.

"Although the tropical storm has weakened from a 'typhoon', it is anticipated to be as powerful as the 'Gay' typhoon, which widely devastated the country's southern region several years ago", warned the senior official.

Residents in provinces along the country's southern coasts, including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, and Prachuap Khiri Khan, should be well aware of and prepared for heavy rain and flooding, and even flash floods, over the next couple of days, warned the weather bureau's statement.

They should also closely follow updated reports of the Meteorological Department, the statement suggested.

Other parts of the kingdom, including the northeastern, eastern and central regions, could also be affected by the powerful storm during the period, said the statement.

Local officials have been on high alert to help evacuate, or extend any necessary assistance to residents in the affected areas in case of emergency, according to local journalists.

Meanwhile, ferry services in Surat Thani and other adjacent provinces have reportedly been suspended since this morning due to strong wind and high waves in the sea.

--TNA 2004-11-25

Storm updates at Radio Bangkok (around the clock):

Real Audio 24K: http://www.radiobangkok.net/realaudio24.ram

Real Audio 128K: http://www.radiobangkok.net/realaudio128.ram

Windows Media 32K: http://rs6.radiostreamer.com/bangkok32

Windows Media 64K: http://rs6.radiostreamer.com/bangkok64

[Ajarn]

"Although the tropical storm has weakened from a 'typhoon', it is anticipated to be as powerful as the 'Gay' typhoon

I wonder what they mean by that.... If it is as powerfull, it's a typhoon, too, right? So, if it's not a typhoon, how can it be as powerful?

[mjcl]

Staying in South Vietnam at the moment, Muifa passed over us last night with very little effect. Unless it picks up speed over the water, I wouldn't worry too much.

[DNA]

Update from Phuket Island at 4.46pm

Heavy rain has just hit all parts of the Island -

Thyphoon Mui Fa we welcome you - be good!

[Siamkid]

Update from Phuket Island at 4.46pm

Heavy rain has just hit all parts of the Island -

Thyphoon Mui Fa we welcome you - be good!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ahem !!! Update from Patong Beach 5:00 PM Nov 25th. It's cloudy out there but have yet to see any rain here today !!!

[kasi]

Update Chalong Bay 17:03, Rain let up already. no severe weather noted.