Over a dozen dead in southern Thailand as floods threaten tourist season

Alasdair Sandford

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Severe flooding across a large part of southern Thailand has killed more than a dozen people after several days of heavy rain.

 

At least one person was reported missing. Most of the victims are said to be fishermen.

 

The interior ministry said six days of floods had affected over half a million people. The main rail link to the south has been cut.

 

In Nakhon Si Thammarat where at least five people died, high seawater levels have been made worse by flash floods from the mountains.

 

A state of natural disaster has been reported in eleven provinces, from Prachuap Khiri Khan in the northern part of the Malay peninsula down to Satun which borders Malaysia.

 

The floods have struck just as Thailand enters the high season for tourism.

 

On the island of Koh Samui boats have been laid on to get visitors to the airport for scheduled flights.

 

The recent heavy rainfall is extremely unusual for this time of year: the rainy season runs from June to October.

 

The floods have also affected the south of Myanmar and the north of Malaysia. According to Thai weather forecasts, more rain is expected in the region over the coming days.

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-12-07

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The recent heavy rainfall is extremely unusual for this time of year: the rainy season runs from June to October.

 

Wrong.

 

Climate in Thailand

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The wettest period of the year is August to September. The exception is found in the Southern Thailand East Coast where abundant rain remains until the end of the year.

People die ,infrastructure ruined, but dont be concerned about that.

 

The tourists might not come, on no please.

“Over a dozen dead in southern Thailand as floods threaten tourist season”

The headline didn't take long to home in on what's most important to Thailand. 

What is the impact on tourism really?Does anyone actually know any numbers?  Is it a good time to come visit if one is into flooding and overall unease?

The news does make people think Thailand is full up tasteless money grubbers.  Most tourists do not want to visit a place that puts them ahead of the lives and livelihood of the indigenous population.

wonder if there is any other country in the world which suffers as badly from constant flooding and drought  problems.

42 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

wonder if there is any other country in the world which suffers as badly from constant flooding and drought  problems.

Too bone idle to do any actual research, but isn't Bangladesh pretty grim?

4 hours ago, yellowboat said:

The news does make people think Thailand is full up tasteless money grubbers.  Most tourists do not want to visit a place that puts them ahead of the lives and livelihood of the indigenous population.

Sure about that? 

39 minutes ago, baboon said:

Too bone idle to do any actual research, but isn't Bangladesh pretty grim?

can find good data about flooding and about droughts but is a massive job to compile the stats and compare them. thought it might be interesting to see if someone on here has lived in a country with similar or worse conditions. it is a forum for discussion after all.

3 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

can find good data about flooding and about droughts but is a massive job to compile the stats and compare them. thought it might be interesting to see if someone on here has lived in a country with similar or worse conditions. it is a forum for discussion after all.

Hey, I wasn't trying to start a row with you. Perhaps I should have written 'I am too bone idle to do any actual research'?

I am as interested as you are in what others have to say.

2 minutes ago, baboon said:

Hey, I wasn't trying to start a row with you. Perhaps I should have written 'I am too bone idle to do any actual research'?

I am as interested as you are in what others have to say.

no big deal. all good.

6 hours ago, Oziex1 said:

People die ,infrastructure ruined, but dont be concerned about that.

 

Take your complaint to Euronews. They're based in France and their take on this story is entirely their own. I've read dozens of Thai pieces on the flooding and apart from occasionally mentioning tourists stranded on Samui, they're focused entirely on the damage. And given Mr. Sandford's confusion over Thailand's climate (Nov. is the wettest month in the Deep South), maybe Euronews should stick to, uh, news about Europe.

not really threatening tourists.

koh phangan sees the influx of regulars from late November, ramping up after around the 15th until new years. New Year is when the season truly begins tailing off late April-May.

 

And as another poster stated, rainy season usually tails off late decemeber

2 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

can find good data about flooding and about droughts but is a massive job to compile the stats and compare them. thought it might be interesting to see if someone on here has lived in a country with similar or worse conditions. it is a forum for discussion after all.

 

Pretty sure India and Bangladesh have much worth dry and very hot season and also have their fair share of very nasty flooding.

 

Now ref to Thailand, this is actually the South-East part of Thailand, not the full South...

 

From April to October wind is coming from the west and western parts of Thailand: Phuket, Ranong areas have rough seas and some wind, while the other side: Samui and other islands are  in full oil sea mode (no waves at all, good for diving)

 

Around middle Oct the winds change side and start coming from eastern side..

The first 2-3 months (Oct to middle January) after the winds change, all the south-eastern parts of Thailand have very strong winds and waves, while the other side (Phuket and other western areas of southern Thailand enter smooth high season).

Nov to mid Jan all area south of Prachuap Kirikhan will suffer very strong winds (strong enough to uproot trees sometimes) and/or heavy rains.

 

Usually stop around early-mid January for the winds and then both eastern and western part of the south can enjoy beach activities at the same time.

Edited December 7, 20169 yr by CantSpell

22 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

wonder if there is any other country in the world which suffers as badly from constant flooding and drought  problems.

As the heading photos shows, there seems to be a lack of maintenance of river verges, allowing undergrowth to build up.   A few more trees and some bamboo, and the bridge goes too.