Aussie Tourists Stranded After Thai Floods

[LindsayBKK]

News.com.au

AUSTRALIANS are among those affected by floods that have swept across southern Thailand, killing at least 15 people and stranding about 15,000 tourists.

Rising waters have choked off road, rail and air links while islands in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea have been left isolated after ferry services were cancelled.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said ferry services to the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao - very popular with Australian tourists - were among those suspended.

"The Australian embassy in Bangkok is in contact with a number of Australians affected by disruptions to transport and has offered consular assistance," a DFAT spokesperson said.

The victims were either swept away by the rising waters, or buried in mudslides as the unseasonably wet weather deluged the homes and businesses of around a million people in what should be one of the hottest months of the year.

Residents were left without electricity in many areas as the waters rose, while road, rail and air links to the southern region remain closed.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the government had sent its only aircraft carrier to rescue around 1000 people stuck on Koh Tao.

"There are roughly one million people affected in many provinces. At first we thought the flood would last a day or two, but now it has already been one week," he said.

Bangkok Airways said there were 2000 people, mostly tourists, stranded on Koh Samui either at the airport or in hotels after the airline canceled flights for two days in a row.

Some 800 passengers were also waiting in Bangkok to travel to the island.

Bad weather and a power blackout at Samui airport grounded over 50 flights Monday and Tuesday.

In all, 80 districts of eight provinces have been declared disaster areas by Thailand's disaster prevention and mitigation department.

Devastating flooding across Thailand late last year left more than 220 people dead, damaging the homes or livelihoods of an estimated 8.6 million people in 51 of the kingdom's 76 provinces.

[MSingh]

Lindsay, just a guess but are you from France ??