Flood in Thailand show on the map. Annual floods in Thailand

Looking ahead, I write that If it rains on Samui for the second day without stopping, and this happens often and it is always called “Flood”, then I understand that it’s time to stock up on cookies and mangoes, and close in a hole until the sun god will not return to the island.

Not because the flood is dangerous, but simply because there’s not much to do outside in the rain: you can’t swim in the sea (jellyfish and it’s muddy), you can’t really ride a bike: it’s inconvenient and in some places there’s water on the roads, the rain can break your camera.

→ The worst thing is that who came to Koh Samui on short term. You can’t swim in the sea, you can’t ride around the island, because it’s not convenient to do it in the rain. But even in this case, you can come up with some entertainment for yourself: find places flooded with water (and you still need to look for them!) and ride on them on inflatable mattresses.

→ Transport links with the mainland. On the 3-4th day of rain, it may turn out that transport will either not run at all or run with serious interruptions. This happens, although not every flood (maybe once every couple of years) and lasts 2-3 days. But last time this happened in earnest in 2011. In 2017, there were delays and cancellations of some flights, but planes flew and buses still ran.

In general, if you are reading this while going to Koh Samui, then don’t worry - if we have a really serious flood, then you simply won’t be able to get to the island).

→ Mold and dampness. Cameras and iPhones break down in the rain - this is understandable, but equipment can also die from dampness and mold inside, which is sometimes impossible to clean. And also things: they either grow mold in the closets or dry out for weeks during the rains, especially if you live closer to the sea. Solution to the problem: air conditioner in dry mode, silica gel in a bag with equipment.

→ Food. This is a problem only for Bang Por and Maenam, and then only after a week of continuous rain, and this rarely happens. And there are many cafes and 7-11 shops everywhere. But I can’t get to Starbucks and Big C during heavy rains, and this is my great sadness.

→ Electricity and Internet. On some of the days of rain, electricity and the Internet may be cut off, so if you are reading this in a panic, having lost contact with family and friends of your subordinates who are on Samui, then do not worry - soon they will be back online again. It's just raining here.

Any flood is primarily just prolonged rain.

Samui floods

During the 2011 flood rain Without stops It lasted 10 days, the airport was closed and ferries did not run for several days in a row, and there was no electricity in many places.

In 2017 it rains about 5-6 days, with electricity everything is much better and there is less flooding this time. But the media are already writing about the flood just as hysterically.

Behind the real situation You can follow the weather on Samui in my group about Thailand and ask in the comments to posts about the weather: vk.com/thailive

Diary entry: Yesterday, our Thais with frightened faces, loading into a large car, showed us the mountains, talking about large landslides that seem to be able to descend on us. It was at that moment when I went on a bike to photograph the flood. I live in a more or less dry area (Bang Po beach) and our houses don’t drown, people don’t walk knee-deep in water. We are simply watching a storm on the sea, which has come very close to the house and turned deep brown. And rivers coming down from the mountains into the sea.

There are quite a lot of landslides on the roads - mud that came down from the mountains. Rivers everywhere flow from the mountains into the sea and in some places on the ring road ( the main road islands) knee-deep water, sometimes higher.

I turned away from the road and saw Thais fishing in puddles, or rather in the place where they have a road and courtyards in dry weather. Water up to the chest. Boys dive and swim, adults fish - there’s no point in wasting time. Everyone is happy and calm. Like the Russians who go out to make snowmen in winter.

In normal times there is a road here, but now there is chest-deep water.

In Lamai (a region in the east of the island), a piece of rock broke off and fell onto the road. There was only a lane for bikes left, the block blocked almost the entire road - both lanes:

Flood on Koh Samui in March 2011

A few more trashy photos, but there are actually few such flooded places on the island - you see, I even borrowed a couple of other people’s photos, although all the photos on my blog are always taken by me:

Photo by: Pat from my FB friends feed: facebook.com/phakdeee, January 2017

Photo from friends' Facebook feed, January 2017

The main problem for vacationers is not the flooding of houses: this is rather a problem for Thais living in the lowlands, but a sea in which it is impossible to swim. This is how today’s sea differs from the ordinary, everyday one:

Sea in good weather:

Sea during rains (same):

The worst flood on Samui in the last 100 years or Press hysteria

Press. Every flood in Thailand is excitedly described in the news as “the worst in the last 100 years” (some give 100, some 50) and such news for different years Google is full. Here it is important to understand and forgive not to be surprised by anything - this is just the job of journalists: if there was at least some event, we would create a sensation. Delov then.

I would highly recommend not sharing the media hysteria about any flood. This is just a completely different, forced look at the same reality. Let the media bang their heads against the wall in panic, while we calmly float on air mattresses along our roads, waiting out the rain.

In fact, during floods for those who are here, everything is a little different than it seems after watching the press, just look at Samui webcams and you will be very surprised: samui.life

Real-time weather and forecast on a beautiful map can be viewed here: ventusky.com

Any flood for tourists is, first of all, just prolonged rain.

Which area of Koh Samui is worst during floods?

Bophut— everything is bad here, there are a lot of lowlands, flooded houses into which water penetrates and a high level of water on the roads.

Maenam, Bang Por- in general there are a lot of dry places, houses are not on the water, but there are lowlands (where mostly Thais live) and it is impossible to leave Maenam on bikes or cars - there is water on the way to Chaweng. The main sadness is that it is impossible to get to Starbucks.

Lamai— compared to 2011, in 2017 everything is much better, one of the normal areas during floods and rains, but there are lowlands everywhere, in all areas.

South of the island and Nathon— there is water in the lowlands, but there are few such places. You can drive on the roads, you can generally get to Big C on the ring road - that is, everything is just fine.

Major traffic jams on the ring road are located in the northern part of the island: from Bang Po to the beginning of Chaweng:

How do floods end?

Any flood ends sooner or later. In 2016, this happened on the 4th-5th day of rain. In 2011 there was probably a maximum of 11 days of rain. On average, floods on Samui (non-stop rains) end within 3-4 days.

About a happy ending from diary entries 2011 (relevant for any year):

10th day The rain has become much less, although it is still falling. The sea returned to its normal tidal state. The evacuation by warships from Koh Phangan and Koh Tao began yesterday (or even the day before yesterday). In general, compared to the mainland, we are generally doing well.

Evening. Although the stores have run out of food and not everyone can still fly out of Samui airport, overall it is getting better and better! There is no downpour, the sea is calming down, I discovered and bought 2 kg of potatoes (the last one).

11th day. I went out onto the veranda in the morning and saw the sun! At first I couldn’t believe it, then hysterical laughter began. Now, at lunchtime, it started to rain, but it is clear that this will not last long.

So, the flood is over, there is almost no rain. Everything around comes to life. Only traces remained.

Empty shelves in stores are a normal situation during and after floods. Therefore, it is better to stock up on food in advance - after it rains for about five days during the rainy season (if you can already get to at least some store, then buy more food):

Such maximalism began only after 10 days of continuous rain. This happens very rarely, so most likely you are not in danger.

A short video about what Samui looks like when it has been raining for two days without stopping, although what is left behind the scenes are truly flooded sections of roads with floating cars and flooded houses in some areas of the island (December 2016↓):

I'll add a few words about floods in other parts of Thailand.

Flood in Bangkok

Floods in Bangkok always primarily affect residents living on the outskirts. The city itself and its centers live their usual, only rainier life.

Flood in Pattaya

There are no real global floods in Pattaya. During small and rare “floods” in Pattaya, tourists post photos on Instagram with large puddles on the roads, which quickly disappear from the roads and from the memories of vacationers. So, if you are going to Pattaya, and it’s raining outside, then stop panicking, take the plane ticket out of the trash can and start enjoying your vacation.

Due to heavy rains over the past week in southern Thailand, more than 700 thousand people have been affected. Many Thai villages are flooded, and in some provinces the water reaches the roofs of houses.

In a number of southern provinces of Thailand, railway and road communications have been disrupted: the highway is under water. The airport in Nakhon Si Thammarat province has temporarily suspended operations due to flooding of the runway.

Due to incessant heavy rains for several days, many roads on Koh Samui were flooded, as well as the road to the Chaweng area, where the island's major tourist hotels are located.

Samui- an island in the Gulf of Thailand with an area of 228.7 km, the third largest island in Thailand, above sea level maximum height is 635 meters. Located at a distance of 40 km from east coast Southern Thailand and 700 km from Bangkok.

As a result of the fact that it has not stopped raining for several days on the island of Koh Samui, the water has risen in some places by half a meter. Banks, schools, shopping centers were forced to close due to flooding. On this moment The island's airport operates depending on actual weather conditions; two dozen flights have been delayed or cancelled. It is considered one of the most respectable resort airports in Thailand and is designed to receive small quantity airplanes. Heavy rain on the island is hampering airport operations. Several hundred people gathered in the arrival and departure hall. There are passengers waiting for departure for several days.

Tourists and island residents move around settlements on boats. In some places the water level rose to 50 centimeters. The flooding also affected another island, Koh Phangan, where roads were washed out and some buildings were damaged.

Koh Phangan- an island in the Gulf of Thailand with an area of 125 km². 70% of the area is mountains and rainforests, and 30% are beaches and coconut fields. The distance to the mainland is about 55 km.

On January 6, the Thailand Meteorological Department reported the possibility of flooding in the tourist provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Prachuap Khiri Khan.

According to the meteorological department, heavy rains will continue for several days.

These weather conditions are unusual for Thailand, which usually experiences cool and dry weather from November to January.

Such climatic conditions Mutual assistance between people is very important, so that in difficult situations there is always someone to lend a hand. Then society can be considered cultural and normal. It is in difficult situations that the essence of a person himself emerges. Imagine for a second how comfortable it would be to live in a society where all people are friends, where no one steals from anyone, deceives no one, where everything is honest and fair. After all, all normal people want to live in such a society. Whether it will be so or not depends on each of us, on what prevails in our thoughts, words and deeds. If it is good, then the society around becomes kinder. And from such an island of kindness, the whole world can soon be transformed. After all, Good begets Good!

Tsunamis in Thailand may occur due to the fact that the country is located near the zone seismic activity. Earthquakes at depth Indian Ocean can reach the country in the form of a tsunami. After tragic events 2004, when the raging water element off the coast of Asia, carried away more than three hundred thousand peaceful lives, a dedicated national seismological service closely monitors and reports on seismic conditions in the ocean.

The approaching tsunami to Thailand in 2004

If excessive seismic activity is detected, Thai residents will be warned in advance. If a tourist is going to go on vacation to Thailand, then he needs to know what a tsunami is and what consequences they can bring.

The tsunami in Thailand in 2004 began with the fact that on December 26 at 8 a.m. local time a powerful earthquake appeared in the depths of the Indian Ocean, with a power of 9-10.5 points on the Richter scale. After the start of the first seismic activity huge waves In a couple of hours, many residential buildings were demolished. Residents of Asia, and especially Thailand, suffered huge losses.

That day, residents and visitors of Thailand, suspecting nothing, went about their business: some went to work, while others came to the beach in the morning. The tsunami began with tremors that no one felt, so panic arose only when the first waves off the coast of Phuket, reaching a height of about 40 meters, began to demolish everything in their path: houses, trees; flooding residential areas.

The first thing that residents noticed after the tremors was that animals and birds began to panic and hide wherever they could. Then, at about 9 a.m., the water off the coast strangely receded, and people began collecting shells on shallow areas of the water surface. First shock wave, foreshadowing a tsunami, was about 15 meters high, and it was noticed too late. It lacked a white crest, and for a long time it was invisible against the background of the sea surface.

The shock wave rolled hundreds of meters, or even several kilometers forward overland, demolishing everything that could be demolished: concrete buildings, signs, shops, trees. With the same force, capturing everything carried back with it, the wave moved back towards the ocean. So the flood in Thailand took people's lives with it, killing them with shock waves.

Consequences of the tsunami in Thailand in 2004

Immediately after the end of the shock wave, the government ordered the immediate task of rescue services to comb the territory of Thailand to find the dead and injured. In hot climates, infections spread at lightning speed, so the dead had to be urgently found and buried. The state suffered greatly from loss and devastation, so many countries provided material assistance to Thailand. According to statistics from natural disaster 8.5 thousand people died in the former Siam. Of these, 5.5 thousand were tourists from more than 40 countries, and a third of them were minors. When the Thai authorities calculated the damage caused by the 2004 flood, the disaster caused by the earthquake was recognized as the most destructive and deadly of all that had happened before.

Reminder for vacationers

Although a large-scale tsunami has not been observed in Thailand since 2004 to this day, a cautious traveler can really worry about the safety of his stay in Thailand. So you need to remember a few important points in case such a situation arises.

The Indochinese peninsula covers the territory of the Gulf of Thailand, so tourists traveling to cities such as Pattaya, Koh Samet, Koh Chang and Koh Kood need to worry less than tourists who vacation on Phi Phi or Phuket.

It was previously reported that after the tragic events when floods in Thailand claimed thousands of lives, a center was established to detect the slightest seismic activity. If the seismological service notices even minor fluctuations, then it is their responsibility to report this to the authorities, and then the means mass media will spread information about the approaching cataclysm across all radio and television channels.

So thrifty tourists should listen to the news of the day on the radio and read local newspapers every day in Thailand; it also wouldn’t hurt to simultaneously view Internet news online. Especially if travelers are vacationing in the southern part of the former kingdom of Siam.

The main signs of an impending flood are:

Something strange is happening to the water off the coast - a rapid ebb begins with such lightning speed that fish and other inhabitants of the seabed do not have time to swim for water, and remain on the sand.
Animals that live on land begin to panic: they run away from their houses to higher ground or hide in other secluded places.

What should be done in the event of a threat of a marine disaster?

On the territory of beach areas there are often signs with a guide to the highest point or evacuation points.
After the end of the earthquake and before the start natural disaster There is always a time period, which sometimes lasts several hours, during which time you can take transport and leave the city further.
It is advisable to contact the rescue service and follow all the instructions they provide online.
You cannot panic and lose self-control - you need to reason calmly and act according to safety rules.

The history of the 2004 flood in cinematography

The tsunami in Thailand left a huge mark on human history. In particular, there is a film telling about the past events of 2004 in Thailand. The film is called "The Impossible". The story tells how the family of a certain Maria Belon survived the disaster of 2004 and remained alive. The film is based on real events. Maria Belen is a living person, she was actually present during the disaster, but while saving herself, she lost part of her leg. Now Maria works as a lawyer (she is a doctor by profession) and defends people affected by the tsunami in Thailand.

disaster film "The Impossible"

“The Impossible” is a 2012 film directed by a Spanish director. A participant in real events herself chose the actress for main role, who successfully played her and received an Oscar for best acting. Also Maria Belen Alvarez took Active participation working on the script with screenwriter Sergio Sanchez.

The plot of the film: a family of five (father, mother and three boys) come to relax in Thailand, and one terrible day a tsunami takes them all by surprise: a man with two children is swimming, and the mother and eldest son are sitting on the shore.

A powerful stream of water of enormous height covers the entire family, and they are forced to flee. The water sweeps away everything in its path, Maria, making titanic efforts, emerges from the water and grabs the branch of a tree. Meanwhile, she notices that her eldest son is being carried away by the stream, and the woman heroically rushes into the pool of water to try to save her child. The story ends well - the father of a family with two younger children finds a mother with her eldest son in one of the hospitals.

Still from the film “The Impossible”

The film was not created to show tragic story with a happy ending. The meaning of the film lies primarily in its title. First, no one expected that a catastrophe of such magnitude could happen so suddenly, nevertheless, it happened. Secondly, the film shows an unimaginable desire to live. The film encourages you not to give up and not leave your loved ones, no matter what happens. It would seem that in such a catastrophic case it is useless to resist and attempt rescue, but main character proves the opposite.

In Thailand, two tourist boats carrying 127 passengers capsized due to poor conditions. weather conditions. Newsflare portal writes about this.

In the evening, the coast guard received an emergency report that the Phoenix PD, carrying 97 people, had capsized near Koh Hae Island. Another boat capsized in the area with 30 tourists on board. Rescuers immediately began to fish people out of the water, but 49 people are still listed as missing. Police said they may include citizens of Taiwan, China and Russia.

In addition, today rescuers have already rescued two Russians from the water who went for a ride in bad weather on a scooter. It is clarified that they lost control due to strong winds and their scooter overturned.

2017
The Natural Disaster Management Department of Thailand's Ministry of Internal Affairs released its fifth statistical report on flood damage in the country's southern provinces on Wednesday, reporting 85 deaths between the start of the year and January 25. A new wave of rainfall is expected from January 25 to 28, 2017 in the provinces of Koh Samui, Phuket, and Phangan.

Two more people are considered missing. A previous report stated 25 dead and two missing. The report also said the flooding affected 1.18 million people to varying degrees in 117 districts in 12 provinces in the south of the country. More than 360,000 homes and about 1 million people in Thailand were affected by flooding. Schools, government institutions and social infrastructure facilities were damaged and destroyed a large number of expensive Rubber and palm oil production suffered significant damage.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said on Tuesday that tourism infrastructure in the south of the country was largely undamaged, and the damage from the floods to tourism was mainly expressed in the inconvenience experienced by tourists due to violations in schedule of air and bus transport.

2016

A storm warning in Phuket. From Wednesday 7 December 2016, a seasonal but unusually powerful storm will affect the weather in Phuket for the next 7-10 days.
Cyclone low pressure, formed in the Bay of Bengal northwest of Phuket, will reach the island in the next 2-3 days.

Over the next seven to ten days, waves in the bay will reach 1.2 to 3 meters in height.

The warning urges beachgoers to listen to lifeguards and follow all warning signs and instructions on beaches. Inexperienced swimmers may be at risk of drowning in these areas.

A similar warning was issued by the national weather department.

Rain in Phuket

High Surf Warning issued for all Phuket beaches, in particular, the beaches on the west coast of the island of Surin - Bang Tao.

This confirms the values of this schedule. November rains have settled on the island of Phuket, Thailand.

The warning applies to the beaches of Nai Harn, Kata Noi, Kata, Karon, Patong, Kamala, Laem Sin, Surin, Bang Tao, Mai Khao, Nai Thon and Nai Yang and Sarasin Reef.

December 5, 2016 Samui and Koh Phangan declared a natural disaster zone due to a cyclone in southern Thailand.

Koh Samui and Koh Phangan have been listed as disaster areas as heavy rain continues to plague the two resort islands along with other areas in Surat Thani and other southern provinces.

Both islands were among 16 areas declared disaster-hit out of 19 districts in the province. The islands were hit and damaged by floods and heavy rainfall.

Surat Thani is the worst-hit province, which has been lashed by heavy rains since last week.

On Sunday, December 4, the flood situation in Koh Samui began to improve, but overnight downpours again flooded the roads on Monday.

Forecasters predict heavy rains and increased winds along the entire Andaman coast until October 9. Heavy downpours caused floods in Phuket, but, as municipal services note, due to the fact that the downpours last for half an hour intermittently, the water has time to drain out in large quantities. But still, the main roads of the tourist city were flooded

Heavy downpours are expected in Phuket today, with even heavier rain expected on Wednesday, but their intensity and frequency will gradually decrease. Flooding in Phuket, caused by heavy rains over the weekend and Monday, is expected to begin to subside, leaving roads clear and island residents gradually return to their daily lives. The main roads in Phuket were under water - Phuket Road, Montri and Rassada Road - all in the very heart of Phuket, in the Old Town. The water depth on these roads was up to 20 cm yesterday. “We have posted warning signs for motorists that some roads may be flooded if the rain continues,” said Phuket City Mayor Ms Somajaya Savansapana.

Heavy rains on Saturday and Sunday caused a landslide on Soi Yadsanai on the lonely road running up the hill to the Big Buddha in Chalong.

Municipal workers cleared the rubble, clearing the road of trees, branches and soil. “Rescue teams are on 24-hour standby, ready to receive reports of floods and landslides to combat them,” said Chalong Mayor Samran Jaindapaul.

Chalong flood and landslide reporting hotline 076 282 255.

A hotline has been created to help flood victims in Phuket. “We strongly recommend that people in need of assistance due to flooding call 199 or 076 211 111 at any time of the day. Our staff will be on call 24 hours a day,” said the mayor of Phuket.

In Patong, floods occurred in their traditional places - on the Phang Muang Sai Kor road, in front of the Patong Hospital and in front of the police station.

Workers from the Phuket and Patong municipal departments use special equipment and pumps to pump water.

“The roads were flooded to a depth of 50cm and are now free of water for motorists to drive through,” said Kathu district administration chief Mr Weera. He added that signs have also been posted warning of flooded roads.

The National Meteorology Department issued a severe rainfall warning on October 7 at 12:00 pm for the entire Andaman coast.

Local residents and tourists living near hillsides and coastal areas are advised to exercise caution.

All small vessels should remain on the shore, since waves in the Andaman Sea reach 3 meters and this weather, according to forecasters, will continue until October 9.

Latest news from Thailand 2017: For a week now, Thailand has been under the influence of the northeast monsoon, which brought heavy rains along with low pressure. A mass of precipitation, several times higher than normal, fell on several major tourist areas of Thailand. The areas of Thailand most affected by the rains are the provinces of Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta, Krabi and others, a total of 13 provinces.

Since the new year, hundreds of families have been left homeless on the island of Koh Samui, many roads have been washed away, and even the local airport has temporarily stopped operating.
Now Samui airport is operating as normal, but flights, including those to Russia, are being sent with long delays, and some flights have been cancelled.

According to forecasters, on January 9 and 10, heavy rains will affect such provinces in Thailand as Prachuap Khiri Khan (resort town of Hua Hin), Phetchaburi, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Natkhon Sithamarrat, Phataluang, Ranong, Songkhla, Phang Ga (Phangan island), Phuket, Krabi , Trang and Satun.

From January 11 there will be a short lull and the sun will come out, but not for long; according to weather forecasters, the rains promise to return on January 16 and 17.

Rain and floods in Thailand - affected areas today

Provinces such as Surat Thani, the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, Hua Hin, Cha Am, the islands of Koh Phangan and Krabi were hit hard by rains and flooding in Thailand.

The Prime Minister of Thailand said - “It is difficult to protect against floods due to the fact that all the projects of previous governments were not planned properly, there are not enough channels to drain water into the ocean, there are not enough locks and pumps and observation towers.”

Flood-affected Thais add: “We don’t have enough food and drink, but now the water level has stabilized.” It's about about the island of Koh Samui.

To help with the floods in Thailand, they created command centers in the South of the country, in which they coordinate the actions of rescuers and help save the situation. Official
Data on deaths from rains and floods in January 2017 have already reached 11 people.

Until now, hundreds of thousands of people remain stranded in their homes or without shelter at all. They try to move them to higher places and give them food, medicine, clean water and clothes.

Rainfall situation on Koh Samui and Phuket today 2017

In January 2017, tourists arriving on holiday to the islands of Koh Samui and Phuket were out of luck. Samui received a month's worth of precipitation that day, and only by January 9 the situation began to improve.
Before this, the first week of 2017, Koh Samui was flooded, roads were washed out, the airport was not working, and many shops were operating intermittently.

The island of Phuket was in better position, since in January 2017 there were not torrential monsoon downpours, but simply rains, which generally did not affect the situation and did not cause panic among people, but also affected the holiday, since many excursions had to be canceled, the weather is not conducive to staying on beach or walks.

Weather in Pattaya today – January 2017

News from Pattaya should reassure tourists who are going here on holiday in the near future. Pattaya is the only major resort in Thailand today that was completely unaffected by the rains and downpours that hit the country in 2017.

In Pattaya, the first week of 2017 was mostly cloudy, the air temperature during the day was about 31-32 degrees, there were short-term rains several times in the first 9 days of January 2017.

In Pattaya, everything works as usual, tourists go on excursions, go to the nearest islands and beaches, walk and visit attractions.

Thailand's economy under threat due to rainfall

Thailand's economy is again under threat, as monsoon rains that hit the south of Thailand have flooded most farms, and the rice planting and harvest are on the verge of failure.
Tourist season Thailand also suffers from bad weather, the most popular islands of Thailand, Koh Samui and Phuket are at the mercy of rain, although Phuket is less so than Koh Samui.
Hundreds of delayed and canceled flights, shortages of electricity, food and drinking water, bus and train services.
But the most persistent tourists don’t care; many have a philosophical attitude towards this problem and continue to enjoy their holiday in the “kingdom of smiles”.

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