Huge waves, floods batter Surat Thani, Koh Phangan
published : 13 Jan 2025 at 08:30
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Supapong Chaolan

Strong waves and flooding due to higher sea levels wreaked havoc in coastal communities in seven districts of Surat Thani, including Koh Phangan, on Sunday.
Strong winds and three to four metre-high waves battered the coast of Don Sak district in the early morning, causing flooding and forcing 200 families to move to higher ground with the help of emergency rescuers. Local media said the sea levels started to rise in the area at 4am.
In Chaiya district, four beachfront bungalows at Haad Kamnan Camping resort collapsed after tall waves exceeding three metres destroyed the nearby 30-metre-long concrete sea embankment.
Higher sea levels caused the Tapee River to burst its banks and flooded roads and houses in the area.
In Tha Chang district, nearly the entire area of Moo 3 village in tambon Khao Than Pramarn was flooded at about 8am before the water receded later in the day.
Seatran Ferry Co on Sunday cancelled some trips on its Don Sak-Koh Samui-Koh Phangan routes due to rough weather. On Saturday it warned passengers to allow extra time for their journeys on Jan 11-13 and Jan 18-20 as ferry services were expected to face delays due to the northeastern monsoon.
Meanwhile, Lomprayah High Speed Ferries Co suspended all ferry services to and from Koh Tao on Sunday until further notice.
Vocabulary
- batter: to hit something hard many times - ตีติดต่อกัน, โจมตีติดต่อกัน
- bungalow: a house built all on one level, without stairs - บังกะโล, เรือนไม้ชั้นเดียว
- collapse: to fall down suddenly - พังลงมา ล้ม, พังครืน
- embankment: a slope made of earth, stone or cement that rises up from either side of a road, railway/railroad, river, etc. - มูลดิน,ตลิ่งทาง, เขื่อน
- journey: travelling from one place to another, especially when they are far apart - การเดินทาง
- monsoon: the season of heavy rain during the summer in hot Asian countries - มรสุม
- recede: to move back; to move further away into the distance; subside - ลดลง, ถอยหลัง
- rescuers (noun): people who save someone from a dangerous or unpleasant situation - ผู้ช่วยชีวิต
- rough: (of a body of water) not calm or smooth - มีคลื่นมาก
- suspend: to stop for a period of time - ยกเลิกชั่วคราว, ระงับชั่วคราว
- wave: a line of something that moves across an area - คลื่น
- Keywords
- thailand
- surat thani
- flooding
- wind
- waves
- evacuation
- phangan