Tropical storm prompts alerts for South, Gulf

Tropical storm prompts alerts for South, Gulf

Risk of heavy rain, flash floods and mudslides

The government has gone on alert for a tropical depression in the South China Sea, expected to enter the Gulf of Thailand this weekend.

The storm, located about 400 kilometres southeast of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, is moving west slowly at a wind speed of 55kph, the Meteorological Department said.

"We're evaluating the situation," said Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, who issued warnings against the risk of storm surges (a sudden increase of sea water), flash floods and mudslides.

Mr Plodprasop said storms forming near the cape of Vietnam tend to enter the Gulf of Thailand.

If the storm passes the upper Gulf, provinces covering an area from Phetchaburi to the South will be affected.

However, if its path is in the middle of the Gulf, the storm will be felt from Prachuap Khiri Khan to the southern provinces.

The Meteorological Department expects the tropical depression will pass the upper Gulf tomorrow and on Saturday, and the Andaman Sea by Sunday.

However, the storm is likely to move south if the cold wind in the North gets stronger, said Mr Plodprasop, who is also chief of the Water and Flood Management Commission.

Somchai Baimuang, acting chief of the Thai Meteorological Department, said the centre of the storm depression in the Lower South China Sea is heading towards Ho Chi Minh City at a wind speed of 55kph.

"We expect the depression will move through the Indochinese peninsula to Thailand within hours.

"In that case, we will see heavy rain in the Northeast, the Central Plain and the upper South while the temperature in the North will fall," he said.

Mr Somchai said the department is closely monitoring the depression in case it changes into a tropical storm.

Meanwhile, natural gas operators in the Gulf of Thailand are booking thousands of hotel rooms in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Khanom district to put up staff in the event the storm hits their work sites and workers have to be evacuated.

US-based oil company Chevron and PTT Exploration and Production Plc have contacted hotel operators to reserve at least 1,000 rooms, said Seri Thanatsorasat, chairman of Nakhon Si Thammarat tourism association.

"However, one problem is that there are only about 650 hotel rooms available in Khanom," said Mr Seri, who owns the Khanom Golden Beach Hotel.

Khanom is nearest to their work sites, requiring only 45 minutes' travel, said a Chevron official.

Chevron and PTT each have about 1,000 staff who may need to be evacuated if the storm enters the Gulf of Thailand.

Chevron is following reports about the storm's movement from the Meteorological Department as it decides whether to evacuate its staff. It has 10 helicopters on standby for the task.

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