Dubbed the worst storm in decades, Tropical Storm Pabuk has lashed Thailand with winds of up to 75 kilometers per hour (46 mph) and rain that is flooding roads. Thousands of people were left stranded on Thailand’s southern gulf coast as the storm made landfall on Friday.
Authorities have suspended all flights and ferry services ahead of the storm, which hit Pak Panang district in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province at 12.45 p.m. local time. Some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, including Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands, along with islands in the Andaman Sea such as Phuket and Koh Phi Phi are expected to be affected by the storm during what is peak holiday season.
Since the storm hit, rain, wind and surging seawater buffeted coastal villages and tourist resorts, knocking down trees and utility poles and flooding the roads. One person has been reported dead while another has been reported missing after a fishing boat with a crew of six capsized in high waves. Beaches were closed, but some bars and restaurants on Koh Samui remained open.
Prior to making landfall, more than 6,100 people were evacuated from their homes in four provinces, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
By: Maytinee Kramer
