Koh Tao: after rain comes sunshine
After the impetuous stir on the diver's paradise of Koh Tao, it's time to take stock and get back to normal life.
Koh Tao is a small (28 km²) island in the southeast of the Gulf of Thailand. The coastline is jagged and beautiful: rocks, white beaches and blue bays. The interior consists of jungle, coconut plantations and cashew nut orchards. There is no mass tourism, there are mainly small-scale accommodations. Koh Tao is only accessible by boat. Many tourists come from Koh Samui with a large ferry.
To dive
Koh Tao is a beautiful idyllic island and ideal for novice divers because there is little current. The underwater world at Koh Tao is of unparalleled beauty. There are therefore various diving schools, including Dutch ones, where you can get your PADI diving certificate cheaply. Just diving once to try it out is of course also possible.
Rain, lots of rain
From March 27, Koh Tao was hit by torrential rain and flooding. The week before was also stormy weather. The waves and rough sea prevented tourists from leaving the island. Contrary to disturbing reports in the media, electricity, water and food were available in recent days. The population on Koh Tao is prepared for anything and there is always plenty of food in stock.
Koh Tao: everything back to normal
The rain stopped on Thursday. The wind has died down and the sun breaks through once in a while. Time to assess the damage and clean up the mess. Fortunately, the damage was minor. A resort was hit and a section of beach was washed away.
The residents on Koh Tao know the tricks of the trade and most of it is cleaned up within 24 hours. Restoring some roads will take some more time. The major traffic arteries have not been damaged. Life on Koh Tao is now back to normal and tourists can visit this beautiful island again.
Weather forecast Thailand: heat returns
The low pressure area has almost disappeared and a high pressure area is approaching. The temperature has already risen considerably. Almost everywhere it is 30 degrees or more during the day. The Thai KNMI has not issued any new weather warnings for southern Thailand, the last one was from March 31. A number of thunderstorms with rain are still predicted, but that is not unusual.
Today on Koh Samui it is 28 degrees and dry. The same goes for Phuket, dry and 30 degrees. Krabi: 29 degrees and dry. And for the tourists arriving in Bangkok today, it's 34 degrees, dry and cloudy.
The weather and weather forecasts in Thailand can easily be followed on the official website of Thai Meteorological Department: www.tmd.go.th
Some good blogs about the weather in the region:
- Phuket: phuket-weather.blogspot.com
- Koh Samui: samui-weather.blogspot.com