Heavy rain causes floods, landslide blocks hill road on Phuket

Persistent heavy rain caused flash floods and toppled trees and power poles on Wednesday, and caused a landslide on Patong hill that will close the road for three days.

The stormy weather also affected air travel through Phuket airport, with many flights diverted.

Non-stop heavy rain that began in the early hours did not let up until around 7am. Flooding was reported in many areas on the tourist island, including Choeng Thale, Kathu and Muang districts.

A falling tree blocked a section of Kathu-Koh Kaew Road, closing it to traffic for a while, and a power pole fell on top of a parked vehicle. There were no reported injuries.

A section of Pisitkoranee Road on the hill in Patong, between an intersection locally known as Yaek Kha Luang and Patong Bay Hill hotel, was blocked by a landslide and is expected to be closed for three days.

A house was at risk of collapsing, Phuket officials said. Work crews were already at the scene working to clear the road. People are advised to use Pethgood Road instead.

Scattered rain was persisting throughout the province and water levels in Khlong Bang Yai were rising. Nearby residents were advised to closely monitor and follow updates on the situation.

Thirty-seven domestic and international flights scheduled to arrive at Phuket airport between 8.15am and 1pm were diverted, airport director Monchai Tanod said.

They landed at alternative airports including Bangkok, Krabi and Rayong, and Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia. All affected passengers had since resumed their trips to Phuket, Mr Monchai said.

Intending air travellers were advised to keep checking for flight updates. Roads to the airport were reported to be unaffected, Mr Monchai said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *