Heavy Rain in South, Tropical Storm in Northeast of Thailand

TRANG (Southern Thailand), May 18 (TNA) - Tourists visiting Thailand’s southern resort provinces, especially along the Andaman Sea, have been warned of heavy rains and flash floods in the region while tropical storm has hit at least two northeastern provinces, injuring a villager and damaging hundreds of houses, officials said. More than 10 wildlife officials on Banthad mountain range have made preparations in providing security to tourists visiting Sai Rung Waterfall in the southern province of Trang. They have also prepared equipment to cope with water runoff and check emergency signal to ensure that it works properly. Tourists have been warned to stay away from the single-level waterfall which falls from a high and huge cliff if the water level rises rapidly and the colour of the water changed. By early Sunday, the water level at the waterfall has risen sharply as officials manning the area from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. have instructed tourists not to swim for their own safety. Despite strong winds and waves, local and foreign tourists continue to travel by boats and visited numerous islands in Krabi province. More than 200 boats which take tourists for sightseeing have already suspended their services, officials said. Small fishing trawlers are asked to stay ashore for the new few days as waves in the Andaman Sea are as high as 2 metres. Weather catastrophe continues to destruct the northeastern provinces. More than 30 villager houses in Pa Tiu district of Yasothon province have been damaged by tropical storm, a villager injured and their entire village has been blackened Saturday after the storm knocked down electric posts. About 100 houses in Chaiyaphum’s Nong Bua Rawe district were damaged, trees were uprooted and electric posts fell, causing people living in three villages to live without the power. Damages were estimated at one million baht. (TNA)