Strong waves and flooding due to higher sea levels wreaked havoc in coastal communities in seven districts of Surat Thani, including Koh Phangan, on Sunday.
Strong winds and three to four metre-high waves battered the coast of Don Sak district in the early morning, causing flooding and forcing 200 families to move to higher ground with the help of emergency rescuers. Local media said the sea levels started to rise in the area at 4am.
In Chaiya district, four beachfront bungalows at Haad Kamnan Camping resort collapsed after tall waves exceeding three metres destroyed the nearby 30-metre-long concrete sea embankment.
Higher sea levels caused the Tapee River to burst its banks and flooded roads and houses in the area.
In Tha Chang district, nearly the entire area of Moo 3 village in tambon Khao Than Pramarn was flooded at about 8am before the water receded later in the day.
Seatran Ferry Co on Sunday cancelled some trips on its Don Sak-Koh Samui-Koh Phangan routes due to rough weather. On Saturday it warned passengers to allow extra time for their journeys on Jan 11-13 and Jan 18-20 as ferry services were expected to face delays due to the northeastern monsoon.
Meanwhile, Lomprayah High Speed Ferries Co suspended all ferry services to and from Koh Tao on Sunday until further notice.
