Southern Thailand’s Peak Season Opens Under a Four-Day Rain Warning

Thailand’s Meteorological Department has warned of heavy to very heavy rain across the country’s south from November 10 to 13, just as the high season for the beaches and islands gets going. Its advisory, issued on the afternoon of November 10, says flash floods, overflowing waterways and landslides are possible. The heaviest rain is expected in Chumphon, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, the provinces facing the Gulf of Thailand, with heavy rain spreading to Phuket, Krabi, Ranong, Trang, Satun and the deep south from November 12.

The sea is the main concern for island hoppers. In the lower Gulf, waves are forecast at two to three meters and above three meters in thunderstorms, and small boats are advised to stay ashore. Those waters include the routes to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. On the Andaman side, where Phuket and Krabi are, scattered to widespread thunderstorms are expected with waves of one to two meters and higher in storms through November 13.

The warning is not a travel ban. It does not announce ferry cancellations, port closures or automatic refunds, but operators can cancel sailings at short notice when the sea is rough, and a missed boat can mean a missed flight. Travelers heading to the islands this week should confirm their ferry with the operator on the morning of departure, leave a buffer before onward flights from Samui, Surat Thani or Phuket, and be wary of waterfalls and low-lying roads after heavy rain.

Further north, the same weather system is bringing cooler air. Temperatures in the Northeast are forecast to drop by three to five degrees Celsius between November 9 and 12, the North may see gusty winds and possible hail around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and Bangkok faces isolated storms. The department planned its next update for early on November 11, and it runs a public hotline on 1182 for the latest forecasts.

Sources: The Nation Thailand, Travel And Tour World