Search goes on for a missing German tourist after flooding on Koh Chang

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Search goes on for a missing German tourist after flooding on Koh Chang



KOH CHANG: -- Search teams have been looking for a German tourists who has gone missing two days ago as flash flood swept through Koh Chang off Trat province.

Besides the missing tourist, Mr Pira Iamsunthorn, the district officer of Koh Chang said that flash flood had swept two cars and five motorcycles and damaged two bridges. Ten fishing boats also sank as a result of storm.

As flood situation has eased, Mr Pira said that officials and residents had been engaged in a big cleanup to restore the infrastructure, hotels, resorts and houses so that they could reopen to welcome tourists.

The bridge at Tharn Mayom waterfall is so damaged that a warning has been issued to motorists to avoid using the bridge if their cars weigh more than one tonne.

All waterfalls on Koh Chang have been declared off-limits for the safety of tourists. Red flags have also been put on beaches where waves are strong and perceived unsafe for swimming.

It was reported that about 150 European tourists who had bought a package tour to Koh Chang which included scuba diving had left the island for Pattaya after the flood because diving is impossible.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/search-goes-missing-german-tourist-flooding-koh-chang/


-- Thai PBS 2014-09-09

[wilcopops]

This is a problem that has been waiting to happen. Encroachment and poor planning have lead to land clearance and excavations that leave water nowhere to go except into already overcharged rivers.

mudslides will be next.

Edited September 9, 2014 by wilcopops

[Gandtee]

Most of the flooding problems are self inflicted.

[Chao Lao Beach]

Hope they find him alive and well.

[mrtoad]

This is a problem that has been waiting to happen. Encroachment and poor planning have lead to land clearance and excavations that leave water nowhere to go except into already overcharged rivers.

mudslides will be next.

I agree there are a number of areas due to poor planning that will continue to have significant issues unless they are properly addressed. Some areas have continual problems such as Kae Bae and Whitesands. There are other areas were land clearance and illegal buildinfs need to be sorted. Furthermore, the local idiots need to getvthe road linked sobit goes all the way around the island.

The joke us one if the usual corrupt Thai goons is posting about how much he is doing to fix the damage on FB when he is one of the biggest bullshitters on the island and involved in a lot of the land encroachment and planning decision stuff.

[wilcopops]

What alarms be in places like Whitesands (and others) is tat to make more level ground for building they have dug back into the hills behind........this to me seems a recipe for disaster......along with other building on hillsides, which I beleive is illegal in Thailand anyway.

Edited September 10, 2014 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

it is claimed that Trat TV claims to have found the body of the German....but this is hard to find any other reports on Google to this effect

[gomangosteen]

Thai language newspapers today identify the missing kayaker as Nikolas Ortwein, age 'about 20', and confirm the body has been found approx 2km offshore late yesterday afternoon.

Sad story. Read that he went kayaking in a mangrove area in a rented kayak and then ventured into open sea.

Edited September 10, 2014 by gomangosteen

[huangnon]

10 Fishing boats getting sunk in some of KC's worst-ever flooding, and they're letting people out to go kayaking?

RIP Nikolas.

[gomangosteen]

^ he rented it to kayak in a mangrove area. Guessing, but imagine that would be fairly sheltered - based on similar areas here (we're near Chanthaburi coast about 60km from KC).

Pic in Thai press appeared to show he had a lightweight foam buoyancy aid on, though that would have been of little help in rough open sea conditions.

We hire kayaks occasionally - they are only available for hire mid-October till mid-April (Songkran). This time of year conditions can change so quickly.

[Sarana]

Wow, I thought about going down there as an alternative to Koh Samui.