At this time of the year we have strong winds with the northeast monsoon and every year all beaches on the east side of similan Islands including Koh Tachai are losing their sands which are back later on during March-April and the southwest monsoon coming on May.
Nothing new about it.
I have just been back from a 3-day diving liveaboard to Similan-richelieu and we saw a manta at Koh Bon.
The coral reefs is in good condition but the soft corals at richelieu Rock are bleaching.
According to different scientific sources, we will have El Nino next spring-summer 2015 and that may do a lot of damage...
Dive operators are crossing their fingers...

Posted by Whistle-Blower on December 24, 2014 12:42

The reason why places like Khanom and others on the East coast might never take off is the weather. This time of year it is usually raining with heavy onshore winds. It's been raining over here non stop for the last month and it doesn't suit the Europe market that wants beach weather. Krabi and Phang-nga can be similar with rain right through Christmas.

Posted by Arun Muruga on December 24, 2014 12:49

@WhistleBlower

Right, I didn't know details but was informed by some friendly guides, so that's why I usually do Similan-Tachai yearly voyage around Songkran

Posted by Sue on December 24, 2014 15:09

Weather wise is this December month different from normal, more wind and rain, cooler. Erosion is a long time ( years) process. Not possible to call it now 'erosion'. The sea takes, the sea gives. With opposite wind direction and calmer waves the sand will come back. A good example is how the process repeating over and over at Naiharn Beach Phuket. Another things what happens sometimes is that on 1 side of the island sand/land disappear, and at the opposite site sand strikes down. It makes a island 'walking'. Well known. Nature is fascinating.

Posted by Kurt on December 24, 2014 18:25

I was there last year at this time - hordes of tourists, mainly Russians and Chinese. Our speedboat driver drove like a maniac.

It was overkill at the island, with dozens of speed boats coming and going all day until dusk.

There were hundreds of tourists waiting to get off the island, as preferential treatment is given to new arrivals obviously. The staging area was full to bursting.

My wife almost got pushed off a cliff to her death, by a large, zealous Russian woman getting in a better position for a selfie - oblivious that she jostled into my tiny wife, bumped her within a meter of the edge..there were no guardrails -

Posted by farang888 on December 24, 2014 21:58

@farang888, I guess that has a lot to do with the cause of the "erosion," personally, I think it is seasonal weather, nothing to do with Russian, or Chinese< tourists... but hey, am glad your wife is safe.

Posted by Laurie Howells on December 25, 2014 11:35

Aran Muruga, raining non stop the last month? We live here and the weather was okay mostly with sun not a lot of rain.... Only the last week there is no sun and stormy weather ....... There was a magazine here and they made a great Fashion Shoot last week in the sun so I don't know where you have been but certainly not in Khanom...

Posted by Anonymous on December 25, 2014 11:57