Emergency Message: Flooding in Southern Thailand

March 31, 2011

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok alerts U.S. citizens in Thailand to the severe flooding and landslides currently affecting numerous provinces in southern Thailand.  Affected areas include many popular tourist destinations, including Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Krabi, Similan, and Phuket, among others.  This warden message includes information from the Royal Thai Government, airlines, local media, and persons in the field.

Thousands of tourists have been stranded for several days in numerous areas of southern Thailand, particularly on Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, and the Similan Islands.  Commercial ferry and flight services in most areas were resuming as of today, March 31. Electricity, water, and communication services are being restored, but remain spotty in certain areas.  On March 30, the Royal Thai Navy evacuated several hundred foreign tourists from Koh Tao to Sattahip and is continuing evacuations as of March 31.  The Royal Thai Government is providing onward bus transportation at least as far as Bangkok. 

Though weather and drainage are improving in certain parts of southern Thailand, the threat from flooding and landslides remains serious in many areas, according to Thai authorities.  The Thai Meteorological Department on March 31, issued an updated flood warning for the southern Thai provinces of Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun.  Heavy rain is expected to continue in these areas today, with high waves anticipated in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, according to the warning. 
If you are affected by the flooding and need urgent assistance, please contact the Royal Thai Government’s English-speaking Tourist Police, which can be reached nationwide by dialing 1155.  If you need to re-book plane tickets, please contact your airline directly.  (For those on Koh Samui needing to rebook cancelled flights, the airlines are directing travelers to contact their respective offices at the Samui airport itself.)  Delays are likely, as many airports have only very recently reopened.  If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the U.S. Embassy’s American Citizen Services Unit at the numbers below.  

For the latest security information, you should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website (http://travel.state.gov), where current Worldwide Cautions, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings and health-information resources can be found.   You can also obtain up-to-date information on security by calling 1-888-407-4747 (toll free) in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers in other areas, by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

You are also encouraged to inform the Embassy of your presence in Thailand by enrolling in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), available at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.  The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy is located at 95 Wireless Road in Bangkok, and can be reached by calling 66-2-205-4049, or by e-mailing ACSBKK@State.gov.  The Embassy’s after-hours emergency telephone number is 66-2-205-4000.