Swimming ban imposed in Thai Far South for rough sea

THAI FAR SOUTH, February 15 (TNA) - A strong wind and high waves have prompted local authorities in Songkhla Province in the Thai Far South to impose a temporary ban on swimming, while forcing fishing boats in adjacent Narathiwat Province to stay ashore for some days. The strong waves have hit Chalathat–Simila Beaches in Songkhla’s Muang District, sweeping through the land, almost reaching a road by the beaches, eroding the beaches and threatening at least 10 pine trees to fall. The Songkhla Municipality has, thus, placed the red flag to ban swimming along the two beaches, stretching almost 10 kilometres. Meanwhile, the local meteorological center issued a warning for small boats to stay ashore during February 15-16 due to high waves and a strong wind in lower parts of the Gulf of Thailand. In Narathiwat, a thousand of local fishing boats in Muang and Takbai Districts have stayed ashore for a few days as they cannot go out to catch the fish in the rough sea. (TNA)