Iran Press/ Asia: Accompanying winds churned up waves up to 5m high and gusts in the Gulf of Thailand as tropical storm Pabuk made landfall in the Pak Phanang district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, where trees crashed down on houses to cause widespread damage.
Authorities reported power blackouts across swathes of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani provinces as electricity poles toppled over in high winds and power lines were cut by falling trees, Reuters reported.
Weather officials warned of torrential downpours and strong winds in 15 provinces in the Thai south, home to one of the world's largest natural rubber plantations and several islands thronged by tourists.
The conditions are expected to persist into Saturday. With airports and ferry services shut, people were advised to stay indoors until the storm passed.
During the past few days, 6,176 people have been evacuated to shelters from Nakhon Si Thammarat as well as the provinces of Pattani, Songkhla and Yala, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has said.
The Nakhon Si Thammarat airport said it had closed, and low-cost Nok Airlines said it had cancelled all eight flights to and from the province.
The Surat Thani airport will also close from Friday afternoon to Saturday, cancelling flights by Nok Airlines, Lion Air, and Thai Smile, a subsidiary of national carrier Thai Airways.105/203
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