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Agence France-Presse

At least five people were killed after Tropical Storm Pabuk hit the southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, local media said on Saturday.
Floods and blackouts caused by Pabuk have left nearly 30,000 people in evacuation shelters.
Relieved tourists stranded on islands further north were spared the worst and began to plot routes home.

A once in three-decades weather system, Pabuk packed winds of up to 75km/h (45 mph) and brought heavy rains and storm surges as it lashed the entire south of the kingdom on Friday, cutting power and causing widespread flooding.
A fisherman died in southern Pattani province early on Friday when high waves smashed into his boat. Another crew member was reported missing.
But the storm stayed away from popular tourist spots Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, where large numbers of tourists hunkered down for 24 hours in heavy rain, unable to leave as airports closed and ferry services were cancelled.

“There were no casualties, there is some sunshine today and I’m confident some tourists will be able to leave today as ferries and flights resume,” said Kittipop Roddon, Koh Samui district chief.
But “red flag” warnings banning swimming off what are normally sun-baked beaches at this time of year were still in place.
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“It’s all over. All 10,000 tourists are safe … I am relieved,” said Krikkrai Songthanee, district chief of neighbouring Koh Phangan, an island famed for its full-moon parties. He said only minor damage had been caused by high winds.
But holidaymakers keen to leave the islands faced long delays, as transport links slowly reopened on Saturday.

The storm was downgraded early in the day to a depression with wind speeds slackening as it moved into the Andaman Sea, meteorologists said.
Pabuk made landfall on Friday afternoon in Nakhon Si Thammarat, south of the tourist hubs on the Gulf of Thailand, hammering the province with rain.
Authorities warned of flash floods as some parts were inundated by a combination of rainfall and storm surges.
Around 200,000 people were left without power as dozens of electricity poles were toppled by high winds or falling trees.
Some 30,000 customers were still without power on Saturday morning, according to an update by the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.
A similar number of people were stuck in evacuation shelters, waiting for floods to recede and power to be restored, it said.
Pabuk struck during the peak tourist season, a blow to a sector that is integral to Thailand’s economy.
The kingdom is expected to welcome a record 40 million visitors this year.
Additional reporting by Kyodo


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Thailand

Five dead, floods, blackouts after Thai storm, but tourist islands spared

Motorcyclists ride along a flooded street on Koh Tao, Thailand on January 5, 2019. Photo: Amanda Figlarska/Reuters

A fishing boat sinks because of high seas due to tropical storm Pabuk in the southern Thai province of Narathiwat on January 4, 2019. - Tens of thousands of tourists have fled some of Thailand's most popular islands and resort areas as Tropical Storm Pabuk closes in and threatens to batter the southern part of the kingdom with heavy rains, winds and seven-metre (22-foot) waves. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP)

epaselect epa07261520 A view of debris on a road and a house (back) partially submerged in floodwaters caused by tropical storm Pabuk at a village in Pak Phanang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand, 04 January 2019. Thousands of people evacuated from their homes after 11 southern coast provinces have been put on a weather warning as tropical storm Pabuk brought heavy downpours, strong winds and high waves. Pabuk is the first tropical storm to hit the country outside of the monsoon season in nearly 30 years, media reported. EPA-EFE/STRINGER THAILAND OUT

People set up a barricade as tropical storm Pabuk approaches, in Tongsai Beach, Ko Samui, Thailand January 4, 2019 in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. TWITTER/ @BRENDANDELANTY/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT.

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Transport links including ferry services and airports slowly began to reopen on Saturday, but tens of thousands still without power or stuck in shelters


Transport links including ferry services and airports slowly began to reopen on Saturday, but tens of thousands still without power or stuck in shelters.


Weather

Five dead, floods, blackouts after Thai storm, but tourist islands spared

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Transport links including ferry services and airports slowly began to reopen on Saturday, but tens of thousands still without power or stuck in shelters

Transport links including ferry services and airports slowly began to reopen on Saturday, but tens of thousands still without power or stuck in shelters