Typhoons (hurricanes) In Thailand

[Mr Red]

We just went through another hurricane in Florida (second to hit our area in 10 months). This time it was not as bad as last year, but it still disrupts our lives. There are preparations ahead of time -- boarding up the windows, stocking up on supplies and water, getting gas for the cars (long lines 2 days ahead, then no gas), dealing with the storm itself that lasts for hours on end, then no power (read no air conditioning) for days after.

During Hurricane Ivan in September of last year, my lovely wife was visiting at home in Bangkok and I endured the storm and five days without power. This time, my wife was with me and we endured a less destructive storm and 2 days without power.

How about the typhoons in Thailand? Does anyone have experience with them? How about the destructive effects? Here we lose a lot of beach by erosion, coastal highways gone, and lots of damage to beachfront homes.

Since my idea of retirement may be a home close to a beach area, what might I be facing?

[Totster]

Dunno about Typhoons... but I hear they have Tornado trouble on Phuket..!

totster

[WhiteShiva]

We just went through another hurricane in Florida (second to hit our area in 10 months). This time it was not as bad as last year, but it still disrupts our lives. There are preparations ahead of time -- boarding up the windows, stocking up on supplies and water, getting gas for the cars (long lines 2 days ahead, then no gas), dealing with the storm itself that lasts for hours on end, then no power (read no air conditioning) for days after.

During Hurricane Ivan in September of last year, my lovely wife was visiting at home in Bangkok and I endured the storm and five days without power.  This time, my wife was with me and we endured a less destructive storm and 2 days without power.

How about the typhoons in Thailand?  Does anyone have experience with them? How about the destructive effects?  Here we lose a lot of beach by erosion, coastal highways gone, and lots of damage to beachfront homes.

Since my idea of retirement may be a home close to a beach area, what might I be facing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are occasional Typhoons hitting the Gulf of Thailand, but it is rare - there was one last year, and I believe another one 5 years earlier. Most typhones in this area will hit Vietnam (always more westwards), and then loose its power. It is only the rear ones that go south of Vietnam that actually have a chance of striking the Gulf. On the Eastern Seaboard you would be safe. But even on the eastern coast in Southern Thailand, you would have to be extreamly unlucky to have a destructive Typhoon hitting.

In other words - don't worry about it!

[baht&sold]

Dunno about Typhoons... but I hear they have Tornado trouble on Phuket..!   

totster 

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From Wikepedia.com (anyone recall this? before my time)

Typhoon Gay (1989)

Typhoon Gay (1989 TY 32W) was the tropical cyclone which devastated southern Thailand on November 4 1989, especially the province Chumphon. The storm formed on November 1 in the southern Gulf of Thailand, and dissipated over the Western Ghats mountains of India on November 10.

The storm was unique as being the only tropical cyclone to hit Thailand with full typhoon wind speed, but also its origin in the Gulf, its small size despite its high intensity, and the fact the storm was active in two different tropical cyclone basins made it an unusual tropical storm.

Formation

On November 1 the beginnings of the storm showed on satellite images of the southern Gulf of Thailand. A concentrated convection area with an upper level anticyclone was found, ships reported a relatively high surface pressure of 1008 hPa. The disturbance of the monsoon trough continued to consolidate, thus at 21:00 UTC a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert was issued.

Due to the warm waters in the gulf as well as the geographical circumstances in the gulf helped to spin up the cyclone. Satellite images showed the intensification, while the surface pressure at the Thai and Malay coast increased due to the subsidence of the air uplifted by the storm. On November 2 18:00 UTC the intensification increased, thus the storm reached typhoon wind speeds at around November 3 0:00 UTC.

The oil drilling ship Seacreast moored in the gulf became the first victim of the storm. Apparently the eye of the typhoon passed directly over it, and the strong waves capsized the ship. Ninety-one seamen died, only 2 survivor could be rescued.

Landfall in Chumphon

Destruction in ChumphonGay continued to intensify, reaching wind speeds of 100 kt (51 m/s) shortly before it made landfall on November 4 06:00 UTC. During the pass over the narrow Kra Isthmus the storm lost slightly in intensity, which it quickly gained back in the Andaman Sea.

[baht&sold]

There are occasional Typhoons hitting the Gulf of Thailand, but it is rare -

In other words - don't worry about it!

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Agreed! The sky is not falling, despite what ya might hear from time to time

Edited July 13, 2005 by bahtandsold

[jayenram]

Dunno about Typhoons... but I hear they have Tornado trouble on Phuket..!   

totster 

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Beat me to this one, Tots!