WEATHER

Three Pattani fishermen and an 11-year-old boy out looking for shrimps were rescued from the Gulf of Thailand after their boats capsized in a storm on Sunday.

A girl wades through floodwater near Sao Na Pa market in tambon Chai Montri in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Muang district. The province has been inundated by heavy downpours since Sunday. NUCHAREE RAKRUN

They were pulled from the sea by the crew of another fishing boat after spending five hours in the water.

The four had set sail in two small boats from Panare district on Sunday evening, defying warnings by the Southern Meteorology Centre of poor weather between Dec 30 and tomorrow.

Most owners of some 2,000 trawlers and fishing boats in Pattani province played safe and anchored in Pattani River to shelter from the bad weather.

But some fishermen chose to brave the conditions to look for fish.

One of the survivors, Ma Seng, said he knew the weather was poor but he needed to make a living.

He said waves kept battering their boats until he, his 11-year-old son and the other two fishermen were thrown into the water after their vessels capsized.

Mr Ma said he tried to help his son stay afloat and had just about given up hope when crewmen aboard a passing fishing boat spotted them.

Elsewhere, strong waves off Hua Hin have prompted officials to warn tourists not to try and swim in the sea over the New Year holidays. Waves as high as 3 metres were spotted off the Prachuab Khiri Khan coast.

The Meteorological Department says the sea is expected to remain rough over the next few days because of strong winds in the Gulf of Thailand.

Waves up to 4 metres high were likely around Koh Samui, another popular tourist destination in Surat Thani province, the department said, and urged all small fishing boat operators to remain in port until al least tomorrow.

Meanwhile, storms and heavy downpours in the far South over the past three days have caused flash floods in Phatthalung, forcing officials to close tourist attractions in Trang.

Tham Le Khaokop, a cave with a stream flowing in front of it in Huai Yot district, was closed after overflow from the Trang River flooded its entrance, Sane Thongsak, head of Khaokop tambon administration organisation (TAO) said.

The closure would cost the TAO about 30,000 baht a day in lost revenue over the New Year holidays.

In Phatthalung, more than 3,500 people were struggling against flooding in six districts, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.

In Narathiwat, floods were reported in 13 districts, affecting more than 52,000 people, it said.

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