We enjoyed two very relaxing weeks of comfortable weather before things suddenly turned very windy and wet in Koh Samui.
After reconnecting with some old friends, spending Christmas day on Lamai Beach, scuba diving at Angthong Marine Park and bringing in the New Year with our long time favorite Filipino rock band Ovada we were hit with a major tropical storm.
Although, the first few days of rain didn't bother us too much. We weathered the storm in our little bungalow somewhat oblivious to the severity of what was happening around us.
It wasn't until we tried to arrange for a taxi two days before our flight out of Koh Samui that we started to really pay attention to what was happening. At that point we were told the road to Chewang Beach (the next town) was washed away. With little sign of this storm letting up we realized there would be no way to get to the airport. With sporatic power, phone and internet service we were lucky to manage to change our flights and extend our stay by almost a week.
As it turned out, many flights were cancelled and roads were washed out for days. We really didn't mind staying longer in Koh Samui because it is somewhere we both love; however, it was distressing to see all the destruction around us. Even on the day we left we were shocked to see the flood damage that was still around.
These January floods were felt all over Southern Thailand and the Thai Government estimated that 43,000 businesses were affected while 19 highways were damaged and sections of the main north-south rail line buckled under the pressure of floodwater.
While foreign tourists like us may have been slightly inconvenienced, the real damage was felt by the locals, some of the kindest people in the world, by the effect it had on their homes, roads and businesses.
While much of the world's news media was obsessed with the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump, I wonder how many people were aware the death toll from floods in Southern Thailand hit 36. Personally, I think that is "real" news...
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