Published on : Friday, January 4, 2019
The storm made landfall at 12:45 local time (05:45 GMT), sending trees crashing down into houses in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. It is moving across southern Thailand, affecting popular tourist spots.
Thousands of people have already left Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan islands but many are riding out the storm.
At least two nearby airports on the mainland have been shut and ferry services have been suspended. Tourists stranded on Koh Samui said that the island is witnessing heavy rain, wind and waves and there have been short power cuts.
People also say they have been advised to stay indoors after 16:00 local time until Saturday morning.
“I talked to foreigners last night and they are not scared, they understand the situation,” Krikkrai Songthanee, the district chief of neighbouring Koh Phangan, known for its raucous parties, told the AFP news agency.
He said 10,000 tourists were still on the island.
The eye of the tropical storm is passing over Nakhon Si Thammarat, to the south, and is expected to weaken into a tropical depression over Surat Thani province.
“But all tourist islands in the Gulf of Thailand including Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao will be affected because Pabuk is huge,” meteorological department chief Phuwieng Prakhammintara said.
One fisherman is reported to have died early on Friday in Pattani province, near the Malaysian border, as waves engulfed his boat.
The UK Foreign Office is advising Britons to avoid all but essential travel to provinces near the Thai-Malaysia border.
While storms are common in the Gulf of Thailand at this time of year, Pabuk is thought to be the worst in decades to hit during the peak holiday season.
Thailand’s meteorological department said the storm would affect the south of the country for the next few days and torrential downpours are possible in much of the area.
Tags: Worst storm in 30 years