Friday 6 January 2017

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 6th January, 2017

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 6th January, 2017


Today's weather;

Good morning from a wet and soggy Koh Samui. Yesterday's floods got a lot of attention in local and some international media as well.
It has rained all night long, not hard, but a constant drizzle and possible with some hard showers thrown in for good measure. At this moment it's hard to tell how the flash floods are doing around the island. The road near our house is open, after it was closed down for a few hours yesterday, and has just a little bit of flood water and can easily be passed.
The wind is still forceful and blowing hard at times. All small boats trips have been cancelled but the (Seatran) ferries between Koh Tao-Koh Phangan-Koh Samui are still running at 10am and 1pm
There is currently a drizzle but more and harder rain is expected today, although not as much as yesterday. Enough though to make venturing out of your house not very recommendable if there's no need to go outside, or go too far. Having said that, Koh Samui is safe, as long as you don't do any silly things. Be careful and aware of your surroundings. 
The airport still has no activities but the ferries to the mainland should be running. Current temp at 7am is 25C

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 6th January, 2017

The floods caused all kinds of problems, small or bigger. Here's a scene around the corner of our house in Plai Laem, moments after the closed road was opened up again, during a lull in the rain and the water receded very quickly, when a car got stuck in little sand bank. Bystanders were there to give a helping hand and within a few minutes the car became mobile again. A blue BMW was not so lucky and got stuck in the middle of the flooded road for several hour and it took another couple of hours before it was towed away.

Yesterday saw one of Koh Samui's worst flooded days, although last month in early December 2016 and November 2010 had it in them as well. There was mayhem all around the island, the road between the Bophud traffic lights and Nathon was closed down and the airport didn't see much airplane movement at all all day long. The schools of our children were closed yesterday.
The mainland got hit worse though, highway bridges collapsed and the trains can't go any further South than in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The East coast and the Gulf of Thailand have been hit badly, worse than the West coast.
Max temp reached 27C

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 6th January, 2017

Bang Rak bay. Dark clouds and murky and muddy water all day long combined with a strong wind.

The forecast predicts plenty of rain for today and also rain over the weekend, but each day having less rain compared to the previous day and the wind is dropping off, predicted to have disappeared come Thursday. 
Come Monday it should be dry again and possibly the sun may peak through.
Just hold on one more day, the weather situation seems to be improving as of tomorrow.

Do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

52 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi,

I will arrive in koh samui from koh Tao tomorrow mid day (if Lomphraya ferry is running)

Is ok to get from Maenam pier to lamay beach where our hotel is by car?

Camille said...

Hi Christian,

That will depend on the amount of rain when you arrive and today in general. Yesterday that road was closed, haven't heard of anything today.

Dom said...

Thanks Camille, very informative.
Do you know if at this point, any flights are getting into the airport? Our flight tried to land several times yesterday, but had to abandon eventually and return to Singapore.
Thanks

Unknown said...

Hi Camille,

Appreciate the updates. We arrived yesterday and are here through Thursday. Every forecast I look at has a different outlook going forward. Is there a site you'd recommend following? Trying to determine if we should wait the storm out, or make alternative plans. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hi do you know if any flights have gone to koh samui

Sat at the airport 2nd day in a row told our flight was due to depart buy hasn't boarded yet. ????





Camille said...

Have seen various flights arrive today.

Alena Wellink said...

Hi, we are staying right next to the airport. Planes land regularly today.

Camille said...

Hi Dom,

As already mentioned, airport is open and functioning today, Flights are arriving and departing.

Camille said...

Hi Ted,

I use Windguru which I find fairly accurate.

Camille said...

Thanks for confirming Alena. Hopefully they can sort out yesterday's backlog!

Anonymous said...

I am in Maenam in Lompraya Pralan pier region. Main road flooded, but not so hard like yesterday. Next day situation will be better.

Camille said...

Thanks for the update, good to know what the situation is Maenam is like.

Roope Kuikka said...

We're coming to Samui from bangkok tomorrow. Hopefully the airport is open for plains to arrive. Hoping to hear updates about the weather in Samui.

Anonymous said...

Hi. Camille. Am so grateful for your blog My daughter arrived at Koh Tao on the ferry late yesterday. The hotel shuttle bus from the hotel wasn't there to meet her. So was going to walk to Sairee to the hotel where she was meant to ring me but I didn't hear. Any news out of Koh Tao would be appreciated.

Camille said...

Hi Roope,

The airport was open and handling traffic today, I expect this to continue tomorrow.

Camille said...

Hi, not much news about Koh Tao, but they have or had their flood problems, no information other than that is available to me. No injuries are reported though and the ferries are running on a regular base.

Andrew said...

Hi Camille, just wanted to comment that your blog has been very helpful in planning the last couple of days here in Koh Samui. Thank you!

Unknown said...

Have been at the Samui Airport since 12:00 today and 2 flights have taken off but not anymore. The screen reads This is what the screen says ""Due to weather condition and for bad visibility we do apologize for stopping check-in" we are hoping our flight which is supposed at leave for Phuket at 8:00pm will make it out.

Camille said...

Hi Andrew,

You're welcome, glad to be of help.

Anonymous said...

Hi camille,

Thank you for your update about the flood.

My boyfriend and I want to leave ko Samui tomorrow morning. Do you have any information about the roads from Chang Wat to the ferry (to Don sak) and about the roads at the east cost (surat thani town and chumphon)

Thank you!
Marie

Camille said...

Hi Yoyti,

Sorry to hear that but thanks for the update. Hope you will be able to leave although the current steady rain it doesn't look too good.

Camille said...

Hi Marie,

This morning the ring road via Lamai to Nathon was fine and although the roads on the mainland between Don Sak, where the ferry lands and the Surat Thani airport were flooded, a minibus could pass through. No further updates have been made available to me since.

Unknown said...

Hi Camille,

Thank you for responding. Any suggestions about a ferry or driving to Phuket tomorrow morning if our flight gets canceled today? Thank you in advance.

Camille said...

Hi Joyti,

The ferries are running but there may be floods along the roads on the mainland.
Bus services should be available or minivan services as well, maybe they can be checked at the airport or through the hotel were you may end up staying, if your flight doesn't depart tonight.
This morning the roads to Surat Thani were flooded but passable. Since then I don't have any updates.

Unknown said...

If you are in Bangkok or elsewhere, just stay where you are. Don't come here unless you want to sit in your hotel and do nothing. Our week here has and will be nothing but rain. We came optimistic, but are full of regrets.

Unknown said...

Stay where you are! I wish we had. Can't leave hotel or go far. Ocean is brown and angry. Roads flood. Change your plans!!!

Unknown said...

Thank you for your quick response. Do you know how long the ferry or a mini van ride to Phuket takes?

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for your quick answer. Hope it will work out tomorrow!
Marie

Camille said...

Hi Joyti,

The ferry usually takes an hour and a half to reach the mainland. A minivan probably takes another 5 hours to get to Phuket, at least, under normal circumstances.

Camille said...

Hi Amy,

Sorry to hear that. However, this weather has been only in it's second day, before that it was ok-ish. Deffo not like the last two days, which is ecxeptional and has been a problem for the complete South of Thailand, not just Samui.

Unknown said...

I completely agree!!! We have been here for 3 days and it's been a down pour. We ate in our hotel every day and ordered room service which got to be very expensive. 😩

Camille said...

Good luck Marie

Unknown said...

This is our third day here of 6. We changed our flight out to early in the day on our departure day to have time in Bangkok instead of a hotel lobby. We looked at going elsewhere, but the weather sucks everywhere. Our dream vacation is a storm, so we are now fantasizing about a tropical vacation later in the year to Hawaii or Mexico. Definitely won't travel half way around the world to sit in a hotel! And if you are reading this and not yet here, weather looks like it's projected to be bad for the next 5 or so days. Change your plans!!!!

PooyGirl said...

Hi, we were to fly in on the 5 Jan but found out about the bad weather from Camilles weather blog, lucky us ! We have two small kids and we'd have got stuck somewhere. We called Bangkok Airways and they were terrific and let us cancel our flights for a full refund, why would you come in a storm and be stranded. Our hotel wanted to take a cancellation fee but at last agreed to refund us all. We come to Samui every year, love it there as a great place to unwind.
We are really hoping it all gets better soon, we'd still like to pop over but we will keep watching Camilles blog. From the weather dude of things, after the 10 Jan it's suppose to be great weather again, we shall see I guess.

Camille said...

That's very unfortunate Amy!
My forecasts show hard rain until tomorrow afternoon and then it will let off and slowly taper off come Sunday.
Let's hope the forecast I use is accurate.

Camille said...

Pooygirl,

Good to hear you had a positive experience with Bangkok Air and your hotel. I normally also have good experiences with BKK Air, but this situation seems to be a bit out of expectations and experience by them.
Currently it looks like BKK Air is way over their head in trouble with plenty of stranded passengers, only a few planes were able to land and take off today.

It should get better after the weekend, am crossing my fingers that the forecast is dependable.

Unknown said...

At the airport waiting over 10hrs today just to be told our flight to Phuket via Bangkok Airways now is canceled. This is very frustrating because it looks like it's also raining in Phuket now and Bangkok. What a shame as we were looking forward to some sun in Phuket. 😩😩😩😩😩

Unknown said...

My brother and his family are stranded in Bangkok while my son and I are stuck in a hotel here. I really hope that they get on a flight tomorrow because they planned a 10 day trip here. Travelling with three kids under the age of 5. :(

Camille said...

Sorry to say Joyti but Phuket is expecting rain now as well or it already may have arrived.

Camille said...

Hi Mizzie,

That's tough. There may be flights leaving tomorrow afternoon, from Bangkok to Samui, when the rain is supposed to slow down.

Onnimarsu said...

Hey Camilla! We have a flight to Koh Samui on Monday.do you believe that the weather would be better then? Or is it better to change the destination?

Unknown said...

Hello, any news of the Queens ferry terminal at Big Budda from KPG? We're due to leave KPG tomoorow (Sunday) en route to the airport. Are the roads clear to get to the airport?

Many thanks

Gene

Unknown said...

Hello Camille,
Thank you for your information. We are having our flight tickets at 17.1. and going to stay for one month at Koh Samui. Do you think it's worth to go there or be better to cancel out holidays. Thank you for your response. It will really help us.
Best regards
Nicol

Camille said...

Hi Onnimarsu,

As of Monday the rain is currently predicted to stop. You will have to make your decision if you want to visit or not!

Camille said...

Hi Gene,

As far as I know the Haad Rin Queen is running according to schedule, as long as you can make it down to Haad Rin pier on Koh Phangan, you should be fine.
The Thong Sala ferries, Seatran and Lomprayah should also be running.

Camille said...

Hi Bicol,

Have a good read on all weather predictions and what they say, than make up your mind whether you like to visit Koh Samui for a month as of 17th January or not.
You will have to make that decision yourself!
You can keep following this blog and check My Koh Samui info and weather blog Facebook page for regular updates!
This may help you make a decision.

Unknown said...

Update: Bangkok Airways informed us today that we won't be able to fly out until 1/11 because a lot of the flights have been canceled. We have a international flight from Bangkok to California on the 10th. My husband and I have decided to take a ferry to Surat Thani then a mini van/bus to Phuket. Phuket International has a lot more flights and we are hoping to fly to Bangkok. I hope this helps anyone who is stranded in Koh Samui like us.

Camille said...

Hi Joyti,

Thanks for your updates and good luck, hope all will work out for you!
Safe travels!

Unknown said...

Hallo Camille
Do you know how the stray animals on the Island is managing? We've adopted 2 dogs ourselves and care a lot for the strays on samui 💗

Camille said...

Hi June,

Not sure, guess they look after themselves and know where to hide.

Unknown said...

Yay!!! We made it out of Koh Samui via Seattain Ferry which was awesome. On to Phuket 😄

Camille said...

Excellent news Joyti,

Thanks for all the updates. I hope the last couple of days of your stay in Thailand will be to your liking, although Phuket no also has rain. Maybe an idea to get to Bangkok as quickly as you can!
Safe travels.