Watch Out, Thailand – Superstorm Pabuk is Headed Your Way
If you happen to be holidaying in Thailand, now would be a good time to make haste. Thousands of people are fleeing Thai islands popular with tourists ahead of what could be the most devastating storm to hit in decades.
Tropical Storm Pabuk is expected to make landfall at about 7pm local time Friday near the Chumphon archipelago, on the eastern border of Thailand’s Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces. Heavy rain has already arrived and is only expected to get worse.
#pabuk the view from Lipe this morning pic.twitter.com/H1WZQAixni
— Adrian Love (@investmentproff) January 4, 2019
Tourist hotspots in the Gulf of Thailand, including Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands, along with islands in the Andaman Sea such as Phuket and Koh Phi Phi – made famous by the movie The Beach – are expected to be affected by the storm. “We are still compiling the number of evacuees. I can say several thousand people for over 16 provinces,” government spokesman Putthipong Punnakanta told CNN by phone.
“It is high season, there are many foreign tourists at popular destinations. We have informed them in advance since two days ago. I would say most of them have left islands and come to the mainland.” Phuwieng Prakhammintara, director general of Thailand’s Meteorological Department, told CNN the storm could cause waves as high as seven metres, but that waves were more likely to reach 3 to 5 metres in height.
Despite the advance warning, some tourists have made mention that there isn’t much information available, with many left puzzled at what their next steps should be and where:
Hey there. Communication with locals ist tough. Our accommodation are concrete bungalows at the beach. We are a group of six with two little girls and could use some informations regarding the storm #Pabuk and its path. Hard to tell what to do. pic.twitter.com/46LvDwneVT
— Robert Erdmann (@roberterdmann) January 3, 2019
Need help! We are a group of 3 staying on #KohTao but there are no info on evacuation centres etc. Pls advise #Pabuk
— Linda & Kris TravelLit (@mytravellit) January 4, 2019
How it looks for Ao Nang – Krabi? The storm has changed direction and moving more south?
We got no information from hotel staff. Do we need to worry? Any instructions?
It is a bit scary knowing nothing. We are staying in Thai Village Resort.
Thanks #pabuk— Tatjana (@Tajo1979) January 3, 2019
@SushmaSwaraj Please help, We are a group of 6 people, stuck here at koh samui island in the province of Surat Thani, Thailand. Not much information here on how to reach a safer place. #scared #pabuk
— Keshav chokhani (@keshavcho) January 3, 2019
Well by the time we knew that #Pabuk is coming, all ferries were suspended & flights were cancelled. We tried to ask over & over again about safe areas but we did not get a clear answer. Does anyone know if #chaweng beach is safe? #samui
— Lara Saba (@saba_lara) January 3, 2019
Schools in coastal areas are to be closed and Thailand’s armed forces are on standby for Pabuk’s arrival. Bangkok Airways announced the cancellation of all flights to and from Koh Samui on Friday “for safety reasons.” Affected passengers will be able to rebook their flights without paying fees or charges, the airline said.
After crossing the Chumphon Archipelago the storm will, if the current track holds, make a second landfall over Surat Thani province early Saturday. Pabuk will then move over the Malay Peninsula towards the Andaman Sea relatively quickly, but not before dumping large amounts of rain across the region.
The storm is expected to bring strong winds, high waves and surf along with surge as well as heavy rain with flooding. While the winds, surf and surge will be especially dangerous to an area not used to seeing these types of storms, the most significant danger is the rain and flood potential.

Areas in the southernmost portion of Thailand could receive well over 250mm of rain. There is also the possibility of mudslides from the Phuket mountain range on the western side of the peninsula.
It is highly unusual for tropical storms and typhoons to make landfall in Thailand. The last time a tropical storm made landfall in Thailand was in 1962, when Tropical Storm Harriet impacted 12 provinces and claimed 900 lives. The only typhoon ever to make landfall in the Southeast Asian nation was Typhoon Gay in 1989.
The province likely to be worst affected is Nakhon Si Thammarat, where Harriet hit. As the storm progresses out to the Andaman Sea and towards the Bay of Bengal into next week it could become a problem for the coasts of Myanmar, Bangladesh or India.
Source: Kocha Olarn, Laura Smith-Spark, Euan McKirdy/CNN International
Related: Nearly 40% of Bangkok Will Be Under Water by 2030. Why is it Sinking?