Floods in Surat Thani, Koh Samui isolated

[macaroni21]

Is no one following the news on this? Those of us outside Thailand at the moment would appreciate some updates from members with easier access to domestic news sources.

[Guest fountainhall]

The situation is the south has been disastrous. One village in Krabi was completely washed away by a major mudslide. At least 21 have been killed and around 1 million affected with a huge area of farmland submerged. Most of those who survived have seen their livelihoods literally washed out. Samui airport was closed for at least 24 hours with several thousand travellers stuck there and at Suvarnabhumi. Extra flights have now been added to clear the backlog. Train services to the south have also been cancelled.

 

Temperatures in Bangkok are slowly returning to normal after huge drops for the second time in less than 3 weeks. A few days ago they literally plummeted from around 32° one day to 16°-18° overnight and around 20° during the day for several days. Even during the last 10 winters, I have not felt quite so cold in the city.

 

The online editions of the 2 english newspapers are not nearly as dramatic as the front pages of today’s print editions. Here is one article from the Bangkok Post –

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/229740/1000-villagers-cut-off-from-aid

 

- and another from London’s The Telegraph which sums up the situation from the perspective of tourists –

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8418356/Thailand-floods-stranded-tourists-criticise-lack-of-information.html

 

Of equal concern today is the fate of 284 Thais whom the Thai Embassy in Japan has been unable to locate after the earthquake and tsunami. Some may have found their way out of Japan but there seems little doubt that many were killed.

[Guest fountainhall]

Update. The number of deaths in the southern provinces has now risen to 45.

[Guest fountainhall]

With the weather in Bangkok more or less back to normal over the last couple of days, it seems another period of unseasonable weather is about to hit the north and south once again, with threats of yet more landslides and storms.

 

The National Disaster Warning Centre has warned people in the South to remain on high alert for more mudslides over the next two days. The centre said land in several areas has continued to absorb water, leading to continued risk of landslides.

 

People in the North and the Northeast are also warned to be on alert for more stormy weather between tomorrow and Thursday. Residents have been alerted to the threat of thunderstorms and strong winds as a result of a ridge of high pressure expected to move across the regions.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/230152/north-south-on-high-alert