Rainwatch 2011

[mgmonk]

So.... I've seen pictures from friends on Tao, read stories about Samui, talked to people in Krabi and Phuket, heard from someone about Kao Lak.... and I only have to look out the window to know about the islands south of Ranong.

What are your stories, your plans, you hopes, your realistic appraisals?

Has the monsoon come early and why are both sides getting slammed? Is this a storm pattern that will pass? In light of the cancellations ON BOTH SIDES of the country, how are we seeing business shape up for these months before summer hits (the close of one side, the second high season of the other)?

Thoughts and images are welcome.

 

[AleG]

The weather as of late has been crazy, cuckoo bananas kind of crazy. Huge downpours out of season and here I am feeling cold at home in Bangkok for crying out loud! :blinking:

It's most definitely not supposed to be like this at this time of the year, so I don't know if anyone has any idea what other surprises lie ahead.

 

[mase]

Was on a liveaboard to the Surins on 28/3/11 and had to head for home rather than dive at Richilieu rock because of the storm. Weather has been crazy here all year and now with all this rain and wind this time of year it's particularly unusual. Did anyone say: "Climate change?"

 

[AleG]

On the good side this will probably lower sea temperatures and help with the recovery of bleached corals.

 

[Bowmouth]

I'm currently on the "other side" (offshore in China) of the storm that's hitting southern Thailand. We'v e been bouncing for days now on a very choppy South China Sea with waves between 4-5 meters.
Looking at the satellite images all I can see is that there's more to come for at least another day or two.
I don't think it's the beginning of an early monsoon.
It's just freaky weather. Friggin' freaky weather...

 

[GregT943]

I have been off Koh Tao for a month. My friends on Koh Tao have been sending me pictures. The businesses down near the beach (sairee) are flooded out. Choppers is under water i guess. Paved roads are completely washed out and crumbling away in places. Some of the houses up the hill (up past Sairee stadium near the big yellow building) are being washed out and a few are actually falling down. It's crazy. Way worse then the monsoon flooding that happened back in the beginning of December.

 

[Quero]

The Thai Royal Navy has brought back liveaboard customers from the Similans on naval ships rather than risk having passengers on the liveaboards as they make their way back to Khao Lak, so the LOBs are returning empty. There have been trips cancelled or curtailed. Many of us are busy trying to find Plan B for displaced customers and keeping our fingers crossed that sailings going out in the next few days will be able to run.

This kind of weather at this time of year is certainly a rare occurrence over on the Andaman side, but maybe not so much in the Gulf. Here's a link to an article from last year at about this time: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/204658/tourists-left-stranded-on-resort-island

 

[limbo]

Very freaky and extremely unusual in the Gulf Quero, we should be cursing the heat and dusty roads right now, not rebuilding the islands!

 

[Quero]

Best of luck to you over there, limbo! And I just read that Navy ships will be evacuating people from Samui as well? When it comes to that point, it's more than the just slightly newsworthy cancellation of ferries stranding a few people. Your cute little airport is under water! At least we've still got planes taking off and landing here on Phuket, and of course we have a bridge link to the mainland, so people aren't stuck here in the same way as they are there. (I read as well that there are 600 Russian package tourists stranded on Samui--hope you guys have enough vodka on hand to keep them happy!)

 

[aquamarin]

.......hm, yes.........I was incredibly happy and relieved to see our boat approaching the pier in Tap Lamu Monday evening. It was rough out there and our convoy of 4 boats were the only ones going for it - the smaller boats wouldn't have made it. As Quero said, the guests on the other LOB's were taken to the islands where the navy picked them up yesterday. We took 20 guests from other LOB's with us as well Monday, but we only have life boats for 40 pax, so we couldn't take any more. Absolutely nerve-wrecking. I was quite shocked to see that a couple of LOB's still brought their guests on board and tried going out yesterday. They obviously had to turn around, but I wonder how they managed not to notice what was going on

Various news agencies and -papers in Europe are writing about the "disaster in vacation paradise", saying that tourists are being evacuated from Thailand etc etc. Typical

Weather forecast is looking good as of tomorrow, so we're going out on Friday as scheduled

Happy Wednesday
Karin