Flood Situation Gets Worse In Thailand's Mid-South

[travelmann]

So unseasonal heavy rains that over whelm the infastructure is another reason to slag Thais, people need to get over it. Using this comparison I guess I wouldn't hire a engineer from OZ.

What about seasonal heavy rain? Infrastructure? Planning? What's that? Storm drains built on the higher side of the road, landfill where there used to be natural drainage, clearing land on steep hillsides for development, etc, etc... Common sense or greed? Water will still always take the path of least resistance, no matter where.

No No No its global warming (big yawn)

[on-on]

here comes climate change - unpredictable weather, floods and droughts just hundred km apart

Oh, really? Where is the drought?

That was last year:

http://www.google.com/search?q=drought+in+thailand

And this year:

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/7332120.html

Climate change is often ballyhooed over semantics. Who knows what the cause of all this is, I don't, but "climate change" doesn't mean that it's warm everywhere at once, rainy everywhere at once and so on, it means different locales will experience historically uncommon changes in their climate.

Edited March 29, 2011 by on-on

[geriatrickid]

yes, finally, liveable colder weather in thailand, good for the environment, less or no need for airco

I lived for years without aircon here. I did finally put one in my bedroom for the really humid nights and it's set to 28. Maybe Thailand isn't for you. Most of us who have lived here for years are cold!

Oh come on. The ambient temperature is still 25C+. I admit that on my balcony in Patong when the wind blows, I do get cold, but that's why I put on a shirt. People are going to be cold if they walk about in their g strings. Proper clothing and the concept of layers eliminates the night chills. I will gladly take a moderation in the temperature because it cuts costs, and increases productivity.

[plahgat]

Been raining on and off here in Patong Beach Phuket as well for the last week with nonstop raining the last 3 days!

It's not that heavy although there's a strong and gusty wind, but no floodings in Patong.

The beach is all but deserted and all beach chairs bundled up, most tourists are now flocking in JungCeylon Shopping Centre or

hiding out in their rooms!

It's supposed to subside on Friday I've heard.

Plahgat

Patong Beach an hour ago!

[SantiSuk]

here comes climate change - unpredictable weather, floods and droughts just hundred km apart

Oh, really? Where is the drought?

Where we live in Issaan we hadn't seen rain for 4 months (barring one day) until I left on Tuesday last and the family says there has been very little in the last week. The reservoirs are running out of water in SiSaket province. So there's your answer.

What a great time for me to choose the family holiday in Phuket. We are currently unable to drive back home by the looks of it!

[Jimi007]

yes, finally, liveable colder weather in thailand, good for the environment, less or no need for airco

I lived for years without aircon here. I did finally put one in my bedroom for the really humid nights and it's set to 28. Maybe Thailand isn't for you. Most of us who have lived here for years are cold!

Oh come on. The ambient temperature is still 25C+. I admit that on my balcony in Patong when the wind blows, I do get cold, but that's why I put on a shirt. People are going to be cold if they walk about in their g strings. Proper clothing and the concept of layers eliminates the night chills. I will gladly take a moderation in the temperature because it cuts costs, and increases productivity.

So you don't have a jacket, pants or shoes here? I have several and wear them on occasion. I am used to it being at least 30º at this time of year. This morning it was 24º according to the Thai Meteorological Department. I was cold last night, but I was in Sa Kaew. I've read the weather will be improving when I return home Thursday night though...

[Chua]

The airport on Samui is open. Flights are NOT cancelled; some flights have been delayed, but most only by less than 1 hour. Some flights to/from other areas affected by the same storm system are delayed longer due to conditions at the other airport. Samui Flight Arrivals

Nobody is "stranded" on Samui -- they simply have to fly instead of taking a boat. Its actually more accurate to say that hundreds of thousands are stranded in their own towns on the mainland, such as Nakhon Si Thammarat since the flooding is far worse there and the Nakhon Si Thammarat mainland airport is under water.

About 90 per cent of land and plantations in Narathiwat were flooded, with the water between 40 and 50 centimetres deep. See BKK Post Article on Flooding

The water level on Samui is not anywhere near this bad (indeed its not even as bad as it was last November when following the end of the biggest storms in many years the water receded within a few days. Since Samui is an island, the water can drain off into the ocean. In many parts of the mainland areas, that is not the case because the coast is far away. The local government on Samui has put in a lot of new sewers which have helped somewhat (the situation was far worse back in 2005 before those sewers were in place), but of course, like any area, the capacity can be overwhelmed when it rains continuously for more than a day.

Still, the real disaster is on the mainland.

[tim armstrong]

415 mm of rain over KohSamui in the last 24 hr!!! More than 1000 mm of rain in Nakhon Si Thammarat and neighbouring areas in less than 5 days. With such amount of rain it is hard to avoid floods.

My son flys into Phuket from Oz tomorrow. Them to Koh Lanta on Thursday. Does anyone know if you can still get there?

Phuket airport open and operating.

To Lanta they'll need to go by ground transportation at this point as the ferries are stopped at this time.

Thanks grumpy for the info, I'll pass it on

[sevenhills]

here comes climate change - unpredictable weather, floods and droughts just hundred km apart

Yep, Climate changes every day, and will continue to change every day without our help.

[geriatrickid]

Been raining on and off here in Patong Beach Phuket as well for the last week with nonstop raining the last 3 days!

It's not that heavy although there's a strong and gusty wind, but no floodings in Patong.

The beach is all but deserted and all beach chairs bundled up, most tourists are now flocking in JungCeylon Shopping Centre or

hiding out in their rooms!

It's supposed to subside on Friday I've heard.

Plahgat

Patong Beach an hour ago!

Weather shows a yellow sun for saturday, but then showers for next week. I was thinking of organizing a refugee flight to BKK, but my friend tells me that some of the seats are being gobbled up by people from koh samui that were being bussed in to HKT. Filthy koh samui refugees should stay in their heavenly paradise

On the other hand if they are flying out of HKT in this mess, I wish them the best as the wind and turbulence is horrible. This must really be making a right mess of the tourism venues on koh samui. And to think that I call the koh samui airport the most beautiful in Thailand. Oh well, ugly swampy BKK is still good for something.

[robsamui]

The airport on Samui is open. Flights are NOT cancelled; some flights have been delayed, but most only by less than 1 hour. Some flights to/from other areas affected by the same storm system are delayed longer due to conditions at the other airport. Samui Flight Arrivals

Nobody is "stranded" on Samui -- they simply have to fly instead of taking a boat. Its actually more accurate to say that hundreds of thousands are stranded in their own towns on the mainland, such as Nakhon Si Thammarat since the flooding is far worse there and the Nakhon Si Thammarat mainland airport is under water.

About 90 per cent of land and plantations in Narathiwat were flooded, with the water between 40 and 50 centimetres deep. See BKK Post Article on Flooding

The water level on Samui is not anywhere near this bad (indeed its not even as bad as it was last November when following the end of the biggest storms in many years the water receded within a few days. Since Samui is an island, the water can drain off into the ocean. In many parts of the mainland areas, that is not the case because the coast is far away. The local government on Samui has put in a lot of new sewers which have helped somewhat (the situation was far worse back in 2005 before those sewers were in place), but of course, like any area, the capacity can be overwhelmed when it rains continuously for more than a day.

Still, the real disaster is on the mainland.

This, unfortunately, is why Samui now has problems. Between Chaweng Noi and Ban Tai/Bang Po there is now effectively a dam between the mountain and he sea, as every bit of the ring road had been filled with buildings - with no allowance for drainage.

15 years ago in Chaewng this only happened in two places - outside Tradewinds and more north towards The Regent - where they still catch it today because of the dip. But on the north coast there were few problems as there were plenty of places for the water to run off into the sea.

But now there's no place for the water to go - hence the flooding. the drainage they put in around Bo Phut is useless as it goes nowhere: the water simply soaks out sideways into the surrounding subsoil. This means that after the rain has stopped the lakes of water quickly disappear. But as long as it rains, it floods, just as badly as it ever did ... worse now that the whole of the coast in that area has no natural run-away and is and end-to-end barricade of hotels.

R

[Old Croc]

Been raining on and off here in Patong Beach Phuket as well for the last week with nonstop raining the last 3 days!

It's not that heavy although there's a strong and gusty wind, but no floodings in Patong.

The beach is all but deserted and all beach chairs bundled up, most tourists are now flocking in JungCeylon Shopping Centre or

hiding out in their rooms!

It's supposed to subside on Friday I've heard.

Plahgat

Patong Beach an hour ago!

I notice there is no sign of the "Star Virgo" which normally parks there every Tuesday. Too rough in the bay for it! No cruise ship tourists spending money today.

I wonder where it went instead?

[Gulfsailor]

Chaweng south, koh Samui; water level last night was at least a meter higher than i ever saw before. I am around a kilometer from the beach and around here it is much worse than in november or even 5 years ago. Heard story that water was 3 meters high on the beachroad. Although it is still raining, the water is slowly going down. No electricity and roads around the house have collapsed or heavily flooded, so can't see myself. Probably stuck here for a couple of days. Good luck everyone out there!

[Travelish]

It seems Samui airport is NOT closed

http://www.samuiairp...m/flight-status

and they arrive in BKK too

http://www.bangkokai...ne.com/node/129

I was wrong, got some friends blocked there!!

[limbos]

It seems Samui airport is NOT closed

http://www.samuiairp...m/flight-status

and they arrive in BKK too

http://www.bangkokai...ne.com/node/129

I was wrong, got some friends blocked there!!

Airport is not open, one flight tried to get in but cancelled the landing and returned to Bangkok. Wonder if they got a meal on the way back to BKK?

[finnomick]

here comes climate change - unpredictable weather, floods and droughts just hundred km apart

Oh, really? Where is the drought?

Try where I live in Buriram province. No rice crop this year due to drought -- what do the government do ? They give every rice farmer a piglet and a sack of feed ( which you have to repay if the pig dies, you eat it or sell it ) . Last year's rice crop was down by over 60% too......so bring on the rain, please !

[simon43]

To Lanta they'll need to go by ground transportation at this point as the ferries are stopped at this time.

GOM - how are they going to do that then? - I thought there was a channel of water between Lanta and the mainland

Simon

To be more helpful, I just drove from near Phuket to Krabi on the main road and it is passable, with many fallen tress and power lines down just north of Ao Leuk, (but already removed off the road).

Edited March 29, 2011 by simon43

[keestha]

Just got a phone call from somebody who is in Ao Thalene (Krabi mainland, north of Ao Nang and Klong Meuang). The area is flooded, there have been landslides and there is no public transport to get out of there. Because of the flooding, the guy cannot go back to the hotel where he stays, but fortunately locals offered him to spend the night in a house which is built on stilts.

Edited March 29, 2011 by keestha

[ParadiseLost]

I have lived on Koh Phangan for six years and have never experienced weather like this - never in my life! The sheer volume of water falling from the sky is unbelievable. Scary.

In Thongsala, the waves came over the seawall and dumped sand and debris all over the waterfront road (East end by the boat ramp). Many reports of damage locally, and from further south where my in-laws live.

To everyone who has been affected, you have my deepest sympathies - the thought of having to flee during a storm like this is just too horrific to imagine. Hopefully the sunshine will be back soon.

[sbk]

Flames, responses to flames and off topic posts have been deleted. This thread is about flooding in the South. lets leave it for informative responses about what is turning out to be very bad with people dead and even more homeless, not about your egos or how smart you are or anything else, cheers.

[khunsiam]

Be careful while driving the ringroad, rocks slide from the mountain, never seen before.

[ArtVandalay84]

What do you guys think the odds are that Samui will be back to normal by mid April?

[robsamui]

Doesn't say much for the people who are in charge of drainage systems. I don't know what parameters they use down there, but last time I checked, water flows downhill - and the more water expected, the larger the drain pipe which needs to be installed. Heck, it's not even the official start of the monsoon, and the ground isn't yet fully saturated - how much worse will it be when the ground is saturated and waterways are swollen? If engineers can figure out how to use it, I'll donate a plumb level to their cause. What's the address: Royal Thai Engineer Society, Surat Tani?

P.S. this is they type of competence one might expect from a society whose school system systematically allows youngsters to graduate - when they don't have a handle on their specialties. Anyone familiar with Thai Colleges and U's knows that all students graduate - regardless of test scores, attendance, adeptness, etc. So, if you were charged with building a bridge or sewer, would you hire a Thai engineer?

Or nuclear power plants?

:o

[meandwi]

Rain rain go away, come again another day. Daddy wants to play, so rain rain go away!

I'm ready for sonkran festivities! Got a new super saoker! a rubber pond liner for the back of the truck! I just hope everyone is ready to get wet again!

Seriously, It's terrible that this is going on when so many have travel plans to see family in the south in a couple of week. We thought it would be nice to come a week early and spend some time b4 everyone arrives.

Hows the road from Krabi south to Ao Lek/ Phukett on highway 4 ? Anyone traveled that way lately?

meandwi

[LaoPo]

Be careful while driving the ringroad, rocks slide from the mountain, never seen before.

..Holy Moly....

Where did you take the first 3 photos with the rocks ? and the last 4 ? Seems more devastating than I could possibly imagin.

LaoPo

[cyb]

Since I last posted around 24hrs ago, I have not being able to contact my wife it is as though her phone is switched off.

Normally we talk 3 or 4 times a day when I am away from home.

The last time I talked to her she was helping some friends save their restaurant situated on the beach behind Lamai Pearl resort Koh Samui. She said there were two metre waves pounding the beach which is only a few yards from the restaurant.

If anyone has any information at all on that area it would be gratefully received.

[geriatrickid]

Be careful while driving the ringroad, rocks slide from the mountain, never seen before.

wow. Your photos make the sewer backup on our soi so minor in comparison. I hope for the best.

[cyb]

Does anyone please have any info for my previous message please, This is not one of your Thaivisa jokers I am serious and very worried.

[ExoticMatter]

RT news said there been 11 killed and 60 injured on Ko Samui, hope they're wrong:(

Noticed some youtube footage on the land slides.

[Pi Sek]

Does anyone please have any info for my previous message please, This is not one of your Thaivisa jokers I am serious and very worried.

OK, I've just had my ex-gf in tears on the phone for 30 minutes. She lives in Chaweng Soi 1 (the Calypso Diving soi). She says electricity has been intermittent for 5 days, the 7-11 where the beach road meets the ring road is practically out of stock, people have died (just saw 11 mentioned in the last post?), there are dead dogs everywhere, she wants off the island but there are no boats... she's an emotional wreck.

She's going to come and stay with me for a week as soon as the boats start running again, but to do so she has to come through Lamai (@cyb) to get to Lipa Noi - she said that Lamai is hit hard and is dangerous. I haven't heard any reports of anyone going missing, so keep your chin up. Maybe if you gave a name and a place of work/other means of contact, maybe someone helpful on here can go ask after her. Bear in mind though that there's been little/no power so her battery might have just run out. I know Tesco Lotus has been busy with queues of people waiting to charge their phones.

Also bear in mind it's really difficult to get proper information. A lot of places are inaccessible, which means the people on the ground that are posting here can only really talk about their immediate vicinity. Someone in Choeng Mon probably can't tell you about Chaweng and someone in Lamai probably can't tell you about Thong Krut. You should know that Samui is a rumour mill, and bad rumours always travel faster than good ones.

Is there an emergency line for people who want to check up with authorities about friends/relatives?

Hows the road from Krabi south to Ao Lek/ Phukett on highway 4 ? Anyone traveled that way lately?

meandwi

This is only third hand and it's yesterday's news, but the road from Krabi NORTH (typo, I take it?) to Ao Leuk is OK. Some water on the road, some trees fallen etc, but the road has been cleared and is driveable.

I am in my least favourite part of Thailand south of Bangkok at the moment - Phuket - and there was heavy rain all last night. The last 2 nights have been very cold. But there isn't any flooding where I am (Vichit) and I haven't heard of any serious landslides or anything thus far.