Heavy rain swamps Phuket and cuts electricity supplies
Torrential rain yesterday afternoon on the Thai island of Phuket flooded highways and wiped out electricity supplies. The downpour lasted for about one hour and the resulting flash floods caused major traffic snarl ups around west coast resorts such as Kamala and Cherng Talay.
Phuket news reported that a part of Thepkrasattri Road was under half a meter of water at the height of the flooding. The storm brought down electricity poles on Srisoonthorn Road which caused blackouts in the surrounding area.
Local electricity board boss Boontham Jaroenphong said four poles were knocked right over other while others were leaning at dangerous angles. He added that cranes were brought in to realign the poles and workers refooted them. Normal power supplies were restored at around midnight.
Phuket police issued a warning about wet weather last week and urged motorcyclists in particular to ride slowly. A spokesperson said officers had received numerous reports of motorcyclists losing traction on slippery surfaces following sporadic showers.
12GO ASIA says March showers are the precursor for the first rainy season of the year in the Andaman region of Thailand. The April to May rainy season is generally followed by another stretching from August to early November.
The People’s Committee in Ho Chi Minh City has given the green light to a proposal to inaugurate water music performances. Tai Nguyen Company tabled the plan to launch the audio-visual shows from a barge moored on the Dia Canal.
Figures released by Thailand’s National Parks Department show a surge in income from entry fees at parks under its jurisdiction. Between October last year and the end of May, the parks collected a total of almost THB1.68 billion from visitors.
AirAsia took the top honour in the category of low-cost carriers at the Skytrax annual awards ceremonies held in France yesterday. The latest triumph for the Malaysia headquartered budget airline was the ninth year running it has scooped up the same prize.
