Heavy Rain and Floods in Phuket: A Practical Checklist

Stay informed

Follow official weather warnings and forecasts, and make sure alert messages can reach your phone. Do not wait for social media to confirm a serious warning, and follow instructions from the local authorities, your hotel or your building management.

At your accommodation

Ask your hotel, landlord or property manager how to report water coming in and who handles urgent repairs. Find the main electricity breaker, the water shut-off and the emergency exits. If you rent a home, photograph the property and your valuables so that you have a record for any insurance claim.

Keep your passport, tenancy papers, medicines and electronics in a high, dry place, ideally in waterproof bags. Charge your phones and power banks before a storm, keep a torch and spare batteries to hand, and have drinking water and basic first-aid supplies within reach.

Driving and walking

Do not drive, ride or walk through floodwater when you cannot tell how deep it is or how fast it is flowing. Navigation apps do not show whether a low road or underpass is passable, so know more than one route to important places. Steep roads can be slippery and can wash out during heavy rain, and visibility drops quickly, so postpone a trip if you can.

A plan for the family

Agree on a meeting point if phones or roads fail, decide who collects the children and who checks on older or vulnerable family members, and keep emergency numbers on your phone and on paper. Call 191 for the police or 1669 for medical help if there is immediate danger.

If you are told to leave

Leave early when conditions allow and follow the designated route. If water is coming in and it is safe to move, go to higher ground. Do not go back for belongings if that puts you at risk.

During and after a flood

Stay away from floodwater, drains, canals, fallen wires and submerged electrical equipment, and never touch electrical equipment while standing in water. After the water falls, wait for official guidance before you re-enter a damaged area, and do not switch the power back on until it has been confirmed safe. Avoid standing water, which can carry electrical, sewage or chemical hazards, and throw away food that was contaminated or not kept safely cold. Get medical advice for injuries or illness after contact with floodwater, and take photos and keep receipts for your insurer.