BANGKOK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Tropical Storm Pabuk has turned itself into a depression moving from one side of southern Thailand to the other, raising strong winds, heavy rains and flash floods on Saturday.
According to the Meteorological Department's latest statement issued on Saturday, Pabuk has already become a depression with a 55 km speed per hour prevailing over Thailand's famous tourist destinations on the shores of the Andaman Sea such as Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Ranong provinces.
Pabuk, which has hit the eastern side of southern Thailand covering Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces bringing heavy rains and flash floods on Friday, has moved westerly and raised three-to-five-meter-high tides in the Andaman Sea.
The depression has prevailed over those southern coastal provinces, prompting the authorities to strongly advise all fishing boats to remain ashore until Sunday at the earliest.
People in various tourist islands in the Andaman Sea have already been evacuated to shore for safety reasons.
