Tropical Storm Pabuk batters Thailand coast but tourists are spared the worst
Nearly 30,000 people are forced into emergency shelters as the waning weather system skirts Koh Samui
Floods and blackouts caused by Tropical Storm Pabuk have left nearly 30,000 people in evacuation shelters across southern Thailand, but tourists stranded on holiday islands were spared the worst and began to plot routes home.
Pabuk, a once in three-decades weather system, packed winds of up to 75km (45 miles) an hour and brought heavy rains and storm surges as it lashed the entire south of the kingdom on Friday, downing power cables and causing widespread flooding.