December is usually damp to dry in Thailand. The monsoons slow in November and the weather gets good. Everything is green and life is good. No so in 2005. December wreaked havoc in the South.

Areas of Prachuap Khirikhan, Surat Thani and Songkla were hit hard by the relentless downpours. A dam overflowed in Prachuap Khirikhan flooding vast areas. Houses washed into the sea. Roads wash out, power poles leveled, a number of people died.

Resorts were inundated, guests needed to be moved. Entire sections of roadways were swept away. Beach promenades disappeared. Floodwaters kept entire neighborhoods submerged for days. Electricity and water were not available for days.

The popular tourist destination of Koh Samui was hammered as well. Storms kicked up angry seas that made ferry crossings impossible. Stranded tourists could do nothing but wait and hope for clear skies and calm winds.

Numerous colloquial sources claimed that the Prachuap flooding was a 30 to 40 year event.
——-