PHUKET: Savage swirling winds have lashed Phuket over the Christmas period, dousing power in freak storms around the island and leaving some expats to eat Christmas dinners by candlelight.
On the other side of the Isthmus of Kra, high waves marooned tourists, destroyed about 200 houses, shops and restaurants, and forced at least 1000 people to flee their homes.
The forecast for Phuket is for even stronger winds on Boxing Day and on December 27 before conditions improve.
On Phuket, with winds gusting up to 50 knots today, a veteran expat said: ''I've never seen weather like this in more than 10 years on Phuket.'' Another added: ''We seem to be having September in December.''
Winds were much stronger than forecast, whipping sand at some beaches into stinging sandstorms. Usually, high season on Phuket is tranquil with flat seas and little or no breeze.
Power failed in Bang Tao yesterday afternoon and tonight the electricity in coastal Kamala, switched off by a storm toppling a tree about 5pm, had yet to be restored at 8pm. Power authorities said it should be back on about 10pm.
The situation was worse though on the Gulf of Thailand, where five-metre waves hit three sub-districts in Chumpon province's Langsuan district at noon, destroying about 200 houses, at least 20 bungalows and some restaurants along the coastline, prompting urgent evacuation of residents.
Preecha Suweeranuwat, chief of Bangmaprao Tambon Administrative Office in Chumpon's Langsuan district, said people fled in panic. Weather of this severity had not occurred in half a century.
In southern Surat Thani, seaside residents in several villages in seven districts were ravaged by more than three meter-high waves with heavy rainfall, according to news agency reports. About 300 houses and shops were damaged.
Monday marks the seventh anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which killed 5395 people on Thailand's Andaman Sea coast. Nearly half the victims of the tsunami were tourists holidaying in popular beach resorts on Phuket, Phi Phi and Khao Lak in the province of Phang Nga, north of Phuket.
On the other side of the Isthmus of Kra, high waves marooned tourists, destroyed about 200 houses, shops and restaurants, and forced at least 1000 people to flee their homes.
The forecast for Phuket is for even stronger winds on Boxing Day and on December 27 before conditions improve.
On Phuket, with winds gusting up to 50 knots today, a veteran expat said: ''I've never seen weather like this in more than 10 years on Phuket.'' Another added: ''We seem to be having September in December.''
Winds were much stronger than forecast, whipping sand at some beaches into stinging sandstorms. Usually, high season on Phuket is tranquil with flat seas and little or no breeze.
Power failed in Bang Tao yesterday afternoon and tonight the electricity in coastal Kamala, switched off by a storm toppling a tree about 5pm, had yet to be restored at 8pm. Power authorities said it should be back on about 10pm.
The situation was worse though on the Gulf of Thailand, where five-metre waves hit three sub-districts in Chumpon province's Langsuan district at noon, destroying about 200 houses, at least 20 bungalows and some restaurants along the coastline, prompting urgent evacuation of residents.
Preecha Suweeranuwat, chief of Bangmaprao Tambon Administrative Office in Chumpon's Langsuan district, said people fled in panic. Weather of this severity had not occurred in half a century.
In southern Surat Thani, seaside residents in several villages in seven districts were ravaged by more than three meter-high waves with heavy rainfall, according to news agency reports. About 300 houses and shops were damaged.
Monday marks the seventh anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, which killed 5395 people on Thailand's Andaman Sea coast. Nearly half the victims of the tsunami were tourists holidaying in popular beach resorts on Phuket, Phi Phi and Khao Lak in the province of Phang Nga, north of Phuket.
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