Island Evacuation To Start Tomorrow

[H2oDunc]

We went out to get some food here stuck in Khanom and the place we ate at had the Thai news on. Evidently there is a Thai aircraft carrier en route to Tao, KPG and Samui to transfer the trapped tourists from the islands and take them to BKK. Things are evidently that bad now. They should start tomorrow

It doesn't look like we are going to get back in the next few days.

Samui looks a mess on the TV and has also been declared a disaster zone.

It seems like it hasn't stopped raining since last September. We may have had a few days of sunshine but in between it has been raining non stop.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Can anyone post a link confirming this? How will they get the tourists from their hotels to the ship???

[H2oDunc]

According to the Thai news report they are going to be transferring the trapped tourists by helicopter from the three islands and onto the carrier which will then return with them to BKK. Supposed to be here by the morning to start first thing.

This is all by the Thai news channel. They also showed the Thai Navy rescuing 70 school children from a small island just off Chumphon.

Things are looking bleak at the moment

[ChiangMaiThai]

Helicopter to an aircraft carrier and then up to Bangkok??? Really?

[nod]

Got a feeling that some people will be arriving in Bkk on Bkk airways before these "evacuees" get there by aircraft carrier! Could be fun though!

[MSingh]

According to the Thai news report they are going to be transferring the trapped tourists by helicopter from the three islands and onto the carrier which will then return with them to BKK.

How many Tourists would we think are trapped ??

How people can be on a Helicopter that they'd provide ( no Chinook's ) ??

I wonder who would foot the Bill for thos mammoth Logistical operation that REALLY wouldn't be cheap ??

I can't imagine this is true when you think about it like that..

[limbos]

It wouldn't be the first time that the Navy comes to the rescue for Koh tao, at least with supplies.

I wouldn't be surprised if this indeed would happen.

[MSingh]

I wouldn't be surprised if this indeed would happen.

What, the Helicopter rescuing stranded Tourists part of the Navy bringing Supplies ??

[limbos]

Both of them!

[MSingh]

Both of them!

What's your thoughts on how it would be funded & by who then, transferring thousands of people off of Samui via Helicopters ??

[smokie36]

Both of them!

What's your thoughts on how it would be funded & by who then, transferring thousands of people off of Samui via Helicopters ??

Stop it...you're spoiling the dramatic effect.

[MSingh]

Both of them!

What's your thoughts on how it would be funded & by who then, transferring thousands of people off of Samui via Helicopters ??

Stop it...you're spoiling the dramatic effect.

Edit : There's no point Smokes, no point..Let them crack on..

Edited March 29, 2011 by MSingh

[smokie36]

Both of them!

What's your thoughts on how it would be funded & by who then, transferring thousands of people off of Samui via Helicopters ??

Stop it...you're spoiling the dramatic effect.

Edit : There's no point Smokes, no point..Let them crack on..

I dunno what they're all sitting at the airport for anyway....plenty of hotels...must be a bar open somewhere....bloody whingers the lot of 'em!

[sbk]

The news report I heard says Koh Tao.

[H2oDunc]

The report was more aimed at Koh Tao where they say around 1500 tourists are trapped and supplies are dwindling fast. Whether it actually happens is different from what they are promising on the TV. Lets see if the carrier turns up. I did notice it had a couple of harriers on board as well.

[themikeymeister]

Thailand has Sea Harriers?

Is that not a jump jet. THey are are hardest planes in the world to fly. UK planes. Thailand has trained harrier pilots?

Who knows?

[H2oDunc]

Evidently so They may be able to pick up a load of spares now as they have binned all the UK ones. I think the carrier also has some amphibious landing craft as well ?

Supposed to be 1500 stranded tourists on Tao wanting off.

Looking at the weather forecast for today and out the hotel window it isn't looking good for getting back to Samui today with the high winds predicted ?

[Lite Beer]

Royal Thai Navy's HTMS Chakri Naruebet arrives at Koh Tao off Surat Thani to rescue one thousand tourists stranded due to bad weather /MCOT/RT@georgebkk

[H2oDunc]

According to the Thai news report they are going to be transferring the trapped tourists by helicopter from the three islands and onto the carrier which will then return with them to BKK.

How many Tourists would we think are trapped ??

How people can be on a Helicopter that they'd provide ( no Chinook's ) ??

I wonder who would foot the Bill for thos mammoth Logistical operation that REALLY wouldn't be cheap ??

I can't imagine this is true when you think about it like that..

That big Navy ship that has just arrived off Koh Tao must just be there for some diving and R & R then

Edited March 30, 2011 by H2oDunc

[smokie36]

According to the Thai news report they are going to be transferring the trapped tourists by helicopter from the three islands and onto the carrier which will then return with them to BKK.

How many Tourists would we think are trapped ??

How people can be on a Helicopter that they'd provide ( no Chinook's ) ??

I wonder who would foot the Bill for thos mammoth Logistical operation that REALLY wouldn't be cheap ??

I can't imagine this is true when you think about it like that..

That big Navy ship that has just arrived off Koh Tao must just be there for some diving and R & R then

To be fair if the post had mentioned just Koh Tao in the first place would have made more sense. Evacuating Samui??

Great title though....

[Lite Beer]

RT @RichardBarrow: URGENT: All Tourists wanting to leave Koh Phangan go to the main pier in Thongsala; Thai Navy has started to evacuate/RT@georgebkk

[sbk]

Freaky- Koh Tao gets evacuated nearly every year (just usually in November, not now!) but Koh Phangan? Never! Where are they going to go if the mainland is so flooded that nobody can get out??

[H2oDunc]

Can somebody rescue us poor stranded farangs here on the mainland ? Can't they do a 1 for 1 exchange ? So many tourists OFF the island and so many expats back ONTO the islands

Not going anywhere today but fingers crossed for tomorrow

Some pictures taken from the balcony in the hotel

Edited March 30, 2011 by H2oDunc

[MSingh]

The report was more aimed at Koh Tao where they say around 1500 tourists are trapped and supplies are dwindling fast. Whether it actually happens is different from what they are promising on the TV. Lets see if the carrier turns up. I did notice it had a couple of harriers on board as well.

Oh right, you must have been dramatizing it then as i could have swore you said " According to the Thai news report they are going to be transferring the trapped tourists by helicopter from the three islands and onto the carrier which will then return with them to BKK "..

Let' hope it's a safe Operation, whatever it is..

[samuijimmy]

Perhaps on KP they can dig out the Thai Navy retired battle ship, sitting in sand, in Tongsala & at least get those off Phengan!

[lopburi3]

Thai TV has been reporting 4km off coast and no evacuation currently possible as unable to launch either boats or helicopters in weather conditions.

[ParadiseLost]

A helicopter just flew over my house in KP.

I just caught a glimpse, it looked mostly white with a blue tail.

[DMC1]

A helicopter just flew over my house in KP.

I just caught a glimpse, it looked mostly white with a blue tail.

Probably a TAS chopper for offshore workers. I am waiting to go offshore now from Sattahip by boat

[islandguy]

Can somebody rescue us poor stranded farangs here on the mainland ? Can't they do a 1 for 1 exchange ? So many tourists OFF the island and so many expats back ONTO the islands

Not going anywhere today but fingers crossed for tomorrow

Some pictures taken from the balcony in the hotel

Glad you have something to do to keep you from going stir crazy, Dunc, thanks for the pictures. What are all those things sticking up near the beach in the third picture, though?

Here on the West coast of Samui in the lee of the island it is much calmer. There are 5 Rajah ferries hugging the coast and three ocean going freighters as well. Yesterday saw a big barge and tug as well as one Sea Trans ferry offshore of Lipa Noi. Saw this from Taling Ngam, so probably more off of or moored at Nathon.

[islandguy]

Went this morning to help some friends with a little massage shop across from soi Grandfather Rock. Shop has been flooded for three days now (I think we got the last massage on Monday, they had cleaned up from Sunday night and then it started flooding again Monday afternoon). To my surprise they were all packed up waiting for a van to pick them up and take them to the Rajah Ferry port for evacuation by the Royal Navy! Didn't sound like a sure thing to me so I hung around for a while, sure enough they got a call saying that the evacuation was delayed because the highway near Chaiya (North of Surat Thanee town) was blocked by flooding (or maybe landslides, don't know). Packed them up in the truck and they are now staying in the unoccupied bungalow next to mine. Take care of those you can, it will most likely be your turn sometime