Heavy rains, falling for more than an hour on 2 November, triggered a sudden flood from the Fifty-Year Mountain, severely flooding the Soi Na Nai district in Patong.
Local authorities had to intervene urgently in several areas of Phuket. In Patong, in the Kathu district, the water rushed down rapidly from the heights, submerging the streets of Soi Na Nai and the surroundings of Soi 8. Vehicles could no longer circulate and residents had to evacuate their belongings in a hurry.
Residents and hoteliers reacted immediately by stacking sandbags more than two metres high in front of building entrances. Surveillance teams were set up 24 hours a day to prevent any further rise in water levels.
“This time, we had to build a sandbag barrier more than two metres high in front of the hotel and post staff permanently. We do not know when the next heavy downpour will occur. Residents are asking the authorities to permanently inspect the drainage system and the runoff from the hill, rather than waiting for the next disaster.”
The municipal services of Patong quickly deployed teams on the ground to facilitate traffic and assist residents. Although the water level has receded after the rains stopped, concern remains high: similar floods had already damaged underground car parks in the past.