Tropical Storm Pabuk arrived on the south coast of Thailand on Friday (4) with winds of more than 70 km / h. Some of the country's most popular tourist destinations, currently experiencing the peak of the holiday season, will be affected by the storm.
As a precautionary measure, all flights and ferry services in the area have been removed. More than 7,000 people were evacuated from their homes and taken to shelters in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the south of the country.
Thawieng Prakhammintara, director general of Thailand's meteorological department, told CNN that torrential rains and floods were expected during the night (local time). The waves in the Gulf of Thailand, which normally have a height of two meters, could reach between five and seven meters.
<img clbad = "image content -media__ picture "itemprop =" contentUrl "alt =" strong waves caused by tropical storm Pabuk strikes jetty in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, Friday (4) – Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP "title = "Strong waves caused by tropical storm Pabuk hit a jetty in Surat Thani province, south of Thailand, this Friday (4) – Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP" data-src = "https: // s2.glbimg.com/L3NEADBbTgnceNgOUjNEySEncTs=/0x0:5568×3712/1008×0/smart/filters:strip_icc()/i .s3.glbim
The strong waves caused by tropical storm Pabuk hit the jetty of the province of Surat Thani, in the south of Thailand, on the east coast of Thailand Lillian Suwan rumpha / AFP
Although there is no official order, tens of thousands of tourists having spent the holidays at the end of the year have already left the islands Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, located in the Gulf of Thailand.
"I think the island [de Kho Phangan] is practically empty: between 30,000 and 50,000 people left after the holidays on December 31," Krikkrai Songthanee, district chief, told AFP. from Kho Phangan.
<img clbad = "image content -media__image "itemprop =" contentUrl "alt =" tropical storm drop Pabuk power transmission lines (Reuters) – Tropical storm Pabuk overturns power transmission lines in the Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat (Photo: Krittapas Chaipimon / Reuters " title = "Tropical storm Pabuk destroys power transmission lines in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in Thailand 4) – Photo: Krittapas Chaipimon / Reuters" data-src = "https://s2.glbimg.com/6i3wbpt4cTVNw-4MbDyG -reS_AQ = / 0x35: 2500×2334 / 1008×0 / 100 / smart / filters: strip_ic.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_59edd422c0
Tropical storm Pabuk destroys electricity transmission lines in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, in T hailand, this Friday (4) – Photo: Krittapas Chaipimon / Reuters
The Andaman Sea Islands, such as Phuket and Koh Phi Phi, must also be affected by the storm.
The Thai economy is largely dependent on tourism. According to forecasts, this country will welcome about 40 million tourists this year, most of them visiting the seaside resorts of the south of the country.
<img clbad = "picture content-media__image" itemprop = "contentUrl" alt = "Chinese tourists disembark at the airport of the Surat Thani Province in South Thailand, Friday (4) .The boats were suspended because of the storm – Photo: Pabuk Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP "title =" Chinese tourists land at the airport in the province of Surat Thani, in southern Thailand, Friday (4) .The boat services were suspended due to the storm – Photo: Pabuk Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP "data-src =" https://s2.glbimg.com / YcB5sO4oXRnDYJ95_k72xq8MvRI = / 0x0: 5428×3618 / 1008×0 / 1008×0 / smart / filtersstfriprip
Chinese tourists land at the airport of Surat Thani province, in the south of Thailand, on the east coast of China. (Photo: Pabuk Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP
<img clbad = "image content-media__image" itemprop = "contentUrl" alt = "Thais were caught in shelters as tropical storm Pabuk approached Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Thais were taken to shelters as tropical storm Pabuk approached Nakhon Si Thammarat Province Photo: Krittapas Chaipimon / Reuters "title =" Thais were taken to shelters as tropical storm approaches Pabuk from Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Photo of this Friday (4) – Photo: Krittapas Chaipimon / Reuters "data-src =" https://s2.glbimg.com/I6d-FuFa1eQzRLBxwJhv1vAvoz8=/0x0:3500×2335/1008×0/smart/filtershst
Thais have been taken to shelters as tropical storm Pabuk approached Nakhon Si Thammarat province – Photo: Krittapas Chaipimon / Reuters
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