Chon Buri: Boats were banned from leaving shores in Pattaya and nearby Sattahip after tropical storm Vamco sank at least 10 trawlers and left almost 400 tourists stranded briefly on Koh Lan island Wednesday.
The Marine office in Pattaya issued the ban after eastern provinces and areas in the Gulf of Thailand were slammed by the heavy storm and its gusty winds.
However, the tropical depression has since been downgraded to a low pressure cell.
Heavy rains flooded Pattaya again on Wednesday, including the main motorway between Bangkok and Rayong. (Post Today photo)
Pattaya flooded in the heavy rain around dusk on Wednesday, with one metre or more of water on some streets and sois.
Five hours of rainfall coupled with the incoming tide, causing floods in commercial areas, and in front of Bang Lamung police station.
The Bangkok-Chon Buri motorway going past Pattaya was also flooded between kilometres 98 and 116. It was the second time this week the motorway was flooded.
The rain let up about 11pm Wednesday, and floods began to recede. The motorway flood was cleared by early Thursday, and the city was mostly dry Thursday morning.
The storm initially stopped 380 tourists on Koh Lan taking a ferry back to the Pattaya mainland. The weather bureau said waves were as high as two metres.
Marine officials sent four passenger boats to rescue the stranded tourists before enforcing the ban on boats leaving shore.
The marine office said the rescue boats braved strong winds and high waves to reach Koh Lan. No one was hurt and the tourists were brought safely back to shore.
Authorities maintained a weather alert as the storm moved over the East, the Central region and the lower Northeast, dumping heavy rains over several areas, according to the Meteorology Department.
Many fishermen in Sattahip district were forced to stop fishing Wednesday as Vamco left behind a trail of destruction.
At least 10 fishing trawlers sank in choppy seas while more than 30 fishing trawlers were left grounded.
Several fishing boats were also damaged in tambon Ban Sare and tambon Na Chom Thian.
The southern region also bore the brunt of persistent downpours and fierce winds, with at least seven houses damaged in Ranong's Muang district.
Roofs were peeled off and houses were also hit by trees uprooted by strong winds, according to Konlawat Sapsongsuk, chief of Ranong's disaster prevention and mitigation office.
Officials in other provinces were also keeping a close eye on the impact of the low pressure cell, which has created an intense weather pattern currently prevailing across the Andaman Sea.
Rains flooded parts of Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Chanthaburi provinces.
The National Disaster Warning Centre later said the rains had eased and the situation was returning to normal.
Photos from Post Today show some of the extent of the flooding in Pattaya on Wednesday.
