UPDATE
Authorities have revived their weather warning for Phuket and the Andaman coast for Monday, warning small boats not to put to sea. Strong waves and storms are forecast.
Original Report
FLOODS and storms are likely across Phuket and at least 15 other provinces for the next four days, the Phuket Department of Disaster prevention and Mitigation warned today, with tourists at sea in possible danger.
With almost half of Thailand suffering from the worst flooding in at least a generation, the alert for Phuket and the other Andaman and southern provinces is likely to stretch precious aid resources that are already struggling to cope.
San Jantawong, Phuket Director of the DDPM, told Phuketwan: ''We met with all local authorities this morning to warn them about the dangers of flooding and landslips especially.
''Patong, Karon and Rawai are the most dangerous areas for hillside erosion.''
Tour boat operators carrying visitors need to stay in touch with the latest warnings and obey instructions if a call comes advising that seas are too rough.
''This is a big storm monsoon weather system and it is likely to hang around until the end of the month,'' Khun San said. Waves of up to three metres are forecast.
Storms lashed parts of Phuket today. Elsewhere, the death toll continues to rise in areas affected by flooding in central and northern Thailand.
The provinces included in today's new warning are Phuket, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Ranong, Phangnga, Krabi, Trang, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
In Bangkok, Wiboon Sanguanpong, DDPM Director-General, said people living along waterways and in river basins should closely monitor weather forecasts.
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According to http://magicseaweed.com/ the northeast monsoon will start on Monday 01 November 2010 and will definitely push the Andaman Golden Coast into the high season 2010-2011.
Unfortunatly most of hotels will double the prices for the five-six month high season.
So Chinese will stop coming for a while and Europeans will fill up the gap with devalued Euro. We hope that all of us will have a great season even booking with cash deposits low for the moment.
Posted by Whistle-Blower on October 27, 2010 16:22