Violent tropical storm on the way to Thailand

The tropical storm "Pabuk" can reach 90 knots before it hits the coast. The sign Khaosodenglish.

Samroeng Sangphuwong, spokesperson at the ministry of Thailand's national water resources, has stated to the newspaper that it is unlikely that the "Pabuk" will be as powerful as typhoon "Gay" that destroyed Chumphon and Prachuap Khiri Khan in 1989.

According to the Sangphuwong can "Pabuk" still get to destroy the buildings along the beaches.

Al Jazeera reports that the storm is expected to bring with it great damage in several places. Turistperler that can be affected are Phuket, Koh Samui and Krabi.

the Meteorological department of Thailand announced today that the storm moves west from Indonesia and against Thailandbukta. Until Saturday, it is also reported that large amounts of precipitation in the south of Thailand.

the storm's center is expected to move towards Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Chumphon in the morning according to the nyhetsstedet Khaosod English.

In the course of the next few days is projected that the storm will continue its journey all the way to the north of the country.

Leaving the islands

The most vulnerable places can get over 200 millimeters in the course of one day.

According to the news agency AFP has tens of thousands of tourists left the islands Koh Phangan and Koh Tao before the storm hits even if it has not been any official evakueringsordre from the authorities.

- People are stressed here. All food in supermarkets is torn away, " says 19-year-old Stina Karlsson to the Swedish Expressen.

Karlsson are among the tourists stranded on Koh Samui.

According to Expressen, this is the first tropical storm that is expected to come off the monsunsesongen in 30 years.

- We got to know about it in the morning when our neighbors at the hotel talked about it. It is quite calm now, but they think it's going to be worse in the evening. It shall surely be high waves and some here think the waves will come up to our hotel, " says Karlsson.

Thailand's meteorological department has sent out farevarsel for these areas:

Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarart, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Krabi, Trang and Satun.

Covered hard

Friday and Saturday it is expected that these areas will be hard hit:

Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarart, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Krabi, Trang and Satun.

a climate researcher Seree Supratid at rangsit road University predict that the storm may be the most serious that has affected the holiday paradise there since the storm "Harriet" in 1962.

Al Jazeera reports that Thailand's meteorological department has the tropical storm "Harriet" on the list of the most deadly storms that have hit Thailand. 935 people died in the storm in 1962.

This has a different direction and will affect larger areas. Damages may therefore be larger than what we saw during Harriet, " he says to Khaosod English.

Powerful storms

the Use of the terms "typhoon" and "hurricane" varies with where in the world they occur.

In the northwestern Pacific ocean, which here in Thailand is referred to the storms as "typhoons", while in the North Atlantic, for example, as in the Uk or on the Us east coast, called the "hurricanes". They are the same værefenomen, but in general, the storms over warm ocean waters more powerful.

For example, it was the typhoon "Gay", which hit Thailand and India in 1989 with a wind speed of up to 260 km/h. The storm "Dagmar", which are among the strongest that is measured in this country hit Norway at christmas in 2011 had a wind speed of up to 46 sekundmeter (166 km/h), with 55 sekundmeter in castes.

are Advised to stay indoors

- We have regular contact with our travelers who are in Phuket and on Koh Samui. We have made contact with them at sms in the day and has created a private telephone which they can call when there is something, " says Siri Røhr-Staff, manager in the Wing.

Reiseselskapet currently have nine Norwegian guests on Koh Samui, and 638 guests, which is located in Phuket.

We know not yet how this will hit, but we follow the situation closely. We encourage our guests to relate to us, the hotel they stay at and the local authorities. Our advice is that guests stay indoors and that they fit on the loose items. It is not dangerous to stay at the hotels in Phuket, says Røhr - Staff.

Discourages't go

She tells us that the travelers who have been most concerned about is those who are traveling down to Phuket today.

They ask whether it is safe. The ministry of foreign AFFAIRS has not advised the norwegians to travel to Phuket. We relate to the UDs travel advice. The aircraft is going as planned. It is also not derived any information about the evacuation from the local authorities, " says Røhr - Staff.

We have 195 Norwegian guests in Krabi and Phuket. We have sent SMS to our traveller, in the day that it is notified storm. We are following the situation and will send updates to our customers on an ongoing basis, " says Nora Aspengren, pr officer in the reiseselskapet TUI.

She also advises guests to follow the advice from the places they live in when the situation is different from place to place.

We are constantly available for our customers, " says Aspengren.