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FLOOD
Massive downpour leaves Phuket reeling
A flash flood wreaked widespread havoc in Phuket Wednesday as Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra promised compensation for the damage.
A road in downtown Phuket is awash after the island was hit by an overnight downpour, which put many areas, especially those in Phuket municipality, under water. The situation has since returned to normal. ACHATAYA CHUENNIRAN
Ms Yingluck said the government will provide financial assistance based on the actual damage to economic zones, shops and houses. She did not give the rates of compensation.
The resort island was pounded by heavy downpours on Tuesday night with high tides yesterday morning inhibiting drainage of floodwater.
The flood ravaged many areas in Muang, Thalang and Kathu districts. In Kathu, the tourist-packed Patong beach also took a battering.
Ms Yingluck said she had been updated about the flood situation in Phuket and local authorities had warned of flash floods in the province two days in advance.
The widespread inundation paralysed traffic, caused eight schools to suspend classes and even delayed air flights.
Thep Kasattri Road, which links central Phuket with the international airport, was heavily flooded, causing motorists to take a detour.
The road to the downtown municipal area was impassable to small vehicles.
Thep Kasattri Road's out-bound traffic was very slow and at a standstill in some areas. Parts of the road in tambon Koh Kaew were under a metre of water.
Thai Airways International delayed its 10.55am flight by half an hour to wait for passengers held up by the flood.
Parts of the Muang Mai-Pa Khlok road in front of Sithisunthorn Bamrung School were reported to be one metre under water. Villages Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 8 of tambon Pa Khlok were under deep floodwater.
In the Patong beach area, the intersection at Patong Hospital was also one metre under water. Mountain runoff was blamed for the collapse of a section of the Kathu-Patong Road.
Local officials yesterday rushed to drain water out of flooded areas throughout the day. The floods eventually receded and the situation began to return to normal about 4pm.
The Meteorology Department says rainfall caused by the southwestern monsoon is expected to continue for the rest of the week in Phuket, Phangnga, Ranong, Krabi and Trang.
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