Storm Pabuk: Tourists flee Thailand as tropical storm 'threatens 22-foot waves'

Thailand braces for Storm Pabuk

Tropical Storm Pabuk is set to bring 40mph winds, heavy rains and dangerously high waves to a number of tourist spots on Friday, including the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

Tens of thousands of tourists have reportedly escaped popular resort islands in Thailand ahead of the first tropical storm to hit the country's southern shores in almost 30 years.

Thai authorities suspended ferry services and began evacuations on Thursday as the storm bears down during the country's peak tourism season.

Rain was already falling around the Gulf of Thailand and officials warned that torrential downpours, strong winds and rough seas were expected in 16 provinces when Pabuk makes landfall late on Friday.

There are fears that the storm will be the worst to hit Thailand since 1989, when Typhoon Gay left more than 400 dead.

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Key Points

Tens of thousands have reportedly escaped popular resort islands ahead of first tropical storm to hit the country's southern shores in decades

[3 January 2019 19:20 · Clemence Michallon]

Rain was already falling around the Gulf of Thailand and officials warned that torrential downpours, strong winds and rough seas were expected in 16 provinces when Tropical Storm Pabuk makes its expected landfall late on Friday, the AP reported.

[3 January 2019 19:21 · Clemence Michallon]

There are fears that Storm Pabuk will be the worst to hit Thailand since 1989, when Typhoon Gay left more than 400 dead. In 1962, a tropical storm killed more than 900 people in the south. (AP)

[3 January 2019 19:27 · Clemence Michallon]

The Meteorological Department said the storm was moving west into the Gulf of Thailand with maximum winds of 40 miles per hour, and that waves 10 to 16 feet high were possible in the Gulf of Thailand, and 6 to 10 feet high in the Andaman Sea on the west coast. It warned of strong winds and storm surges on the gulf side and said all ships should stay berthed on land through Saturday. (AP)

[3 January 2019 19:28 · Clemence Michallon]

[3 January 2019 19:40 · Clemence Michallon]

There appears to be some footage of strong waves hitting a ferry going from from Ko Pha-ngan to Ko Tao.

[3 January 2019 19:43 · Clemence Michallon]

Koh Samui is one of the popular tourist spots predicted to be affected by Storm Pabuk. 

[3 January 2019 19:49 · Clemence Michallon]

"There will be heavy rainfall and we have to prepared for flooding or an impact on transportation," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said. "We are ready ourselves, but if the rainfall is high we will need some time to resolve problems." (AP)

[3 January 2019 19:57 · Clemence Michallon]

The storm was passing about 180 miles south-southwest of Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City at midday Thursday, and was expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the Mekong Delta, the country's major area for rice and aquaculture production. (AP)

[3 January 2019 20:07 · Clemence Michallon]

The island of Koh Tao is also on Storm Pabuk's path.

[3 January 2019 20:18 · Clemence Michallon]

According to Vietnamese state television VTV, authorities ordered people to take precautions and sent radio alerts to thousands of fishing boats to take shelter or return to shore. They had forbidden new boat departures in five southern coastal provinces since Tuesday. (AP)