SURAT THANI – Strong winds and high waves damaged 10 houses and a jetty on Koh Tao, but caused no injuries.
Monsoonal conditions around 3am Monday partially collapsed the Mae Had pier owned by Sea Tran Discovery. Marine Department officials from Koh Phangan inspected the damage today and ordered the pier closed until it has been repaired and safety-tested.
Sea Tran Ferry suspended service between Koh Samui and Don Sak around mid-day due to the high seas, while Racha Ferry rescheduled trips dependent on wind and wave conditions.
Charnwit U-di, a senior assistant district chief for Kanchanadit, inspected an old fishing village in tambon Phlaiwas, which was damaged by the storm. About three of 320 homes were destroyed while 10 others sustained partial damage.
Some houses have to partially remove their wooden floors to reduce the pressure of the waves to ensure that the houses would survive the extreme weather.
Resident Wiparat Juinakorn, 44, said the storm was unseasonal, as such conditions usually hit in December. As such, villagers had not prepared and were unable to relocate valuables to higher ground.