For the first time in 68 years, Thailand will be hit by a tropical storm in January. With a speed of 29 metres per second, and the father Pabuk forth from southern Vietnam and is expected to reach the popular turistöarna Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao during the Thursday to Saturday.
the Islands are almost empty, I think. Between 30,000 and 50,000 people have left after new year’s eve celebrations, ” says Koh Phangan’s district manager Krikkrai Songthanee to AFP.
says that thousands of people are left on the island, while the fully-loaded boats brought tourists to the mainland. On Wednesday drowned a Russian citizen after his family defied the warnings to not be in the water.
” We are expecting waves between five and seven metres close to the eye of the storm. Normally seen in the gulf of thailand, waves to just two metres. It is difficult to predict the storm’s scale, so people should abide by the authorities ‘recommendations,” says thai meteorologimyndighetens head Phuwieng Prakammaintara.
Chaweng beach on Koh Samui, on Thursday, with the red warnings are being heard about for the bathers. Photo: Sithipong Charoenjai/AP
Pabuk also has large precipitation and it is expected the torrential downpours also of tourist destinations like Krabi and Phuket and in Malaysia’s southernmost parts. The weather so far has said that any full-blown typhoon, it will not, that is to say that the sustained winds are not likely to exceed 32,7 metres per second.
– We will inform about the incoming storm during the day. The majority of our travelers are in Phuket who will suffer tomorrow, and so we have a few in Koh Samui, ” says Charlotte Hallencreutz, press officer at Ving, which is one of the major tour operators who have Swedish tourists on the ground in the area concerned.
the Swedish embassy in Bangkok regularly update their website with information for Swedish citizens in the country. ”Visitors are encouraged to inform themselves and to follow local authorities ‘ instructions,” writes the embassy of Pabuk and refers to Thailand’s meteorological institutes.
