Strong waves and flooding from rising sea levels devastated coastal communities across seven districts in Thailand’s southern province, Surat Thani, on Sunday.
The impacted districts included Tha Chana, Chaiya, Tha Chang, Kanchanadit, Don Sak, Muang, and Koh Phangan, a well-known vacation spot.
In the Moo 1 village of Don Sak district within tambon Chonlakram, early morning winds and waves, reaching three to four meters high, slammed the coast, causing floods and prompting 200 families to relocate their possessions to safer areas with the assistance of emergency response teams.
Local media reports indicate that the sea levels began to rise around 4 am.
At Haad Kamnan Camping Resort in tambon Poom Riang of Chaiya district, four beachfront bungalows were destroyed after strong waves over three meters high demolished a 30-meter concrete sea barrier.
“I have never seen such powerful waves in my nearly 50 years. Since 7:30 am, the waves kept hitting harder and harder until the embankment in front of our resort broke,” said Boonrub Thongthuang, 49, the resort manager.
“I was afraid the bungalows might collapse into the sea if the rough weather continued. They finally did.”
Rising sea levels caused the Tapee River to overflow, flooding roads and homes within the municipal areas. Residents had previously been urged to secure their belongings and brace for floods.
In Tha Chang district, the entire vicinity of Moo 3 village in tambon Khao Than Pramarn was submerged around 8 am, though the waters receded later in the day, as reported by district chief Sukrit Meeprink.
Due to adverse weather, Seatran Ferry Co canceled some services on the Don Sak-Koh Samui-Koh Phangan route on Sunday and advised passengers to plan for potential delays on January 11-13 and January 18-20, anticipating disruptions from the northeastern monsoon.
Additionally, Lomprayah High Speed Ferries Co halted all operations to and from Koh Tao on Sunday until further notice.
Surat Thani’s governor, Theerut Supawibulpol, mentioned that officials in all affected districts were evaluating the damages and considering evacuation measures should conditions deteriorate.
Authorities ordered fishing boats and smaller vessels to stay docked, and ferry operators to monitor weather updates closely and adhere strictly to safety directives, with severe consequences for non-compliance, as stated by Mr. Theerut.