. The storm swept with gusts of up to 75 kilometers per hour over tourist islands like Koh Tao or Koh Samui.
Many German tourists are also staying there to escape the European winter. The feared disaster did not happen. The authorities lifted their storm warning. „Pabuk“ officially only applies as a low pressure area.
The weather front brought a lot of rain with it. In many places streets were under water. Trees were uprooted and covered roofs. In total, approximately 30,000 people in the Southeast Asian country had to temporarily move to emergency shelters. Affected were several provinces in the south of the kingdom. On Friday, a fisherman had died when his boat was hit by a high wave. At first nothing was known about further fatalities or major property damage.
The authorities initially feared that „Pabuk“ could become as destructive as tropical storm „Harriet“ in 1962. At that time, nearly a thousand people were killed in Thailand. The fears did not come true. Koh Samui Airport resumed operations on Saturday. Also, the ferries, which are also reliant on many tourists, should run again during the weekend. On the return, some tourists but expect delays.
Especially on Koh Samui many had expected much worse. There, however, the damage was very limited. The German Bärbel Schäfer (55), who has lived on the island for several years, told the German press agency dpa: „It was a bit stormy. But not more than normal. Not even a piece of roof is gone. „Many tourists would have left Koh Samui in time.
The low „Pabuk“ moved on Saturday further west, with heavy rains. Also affected were other popular destinations like Phuket or Krabi. Altogether, according to estimates, there are currently about 30,000 German tourists in Thailand. Tourism is one of the most important sources of income for the country.
