Phuket Landslides and Floods: Risk Zones, Alerts and Evacuation

On 29 October 2026, the Karon municipality ordered an urgent evacuation after heavy rain made the slopes below the hill behind Wat Kata unsafe. Homes on Soi Patak 2, 4 and 6 were covered by the order, and residents were taken to two shelters: Ban Kata School and Wat Suwan Khiri Khet. For Phuket's rainy season, this is a familiar scene, and Thailand's disaster agency (DDPM) issued the same warning for those three sois, citing continuing downpours and the risk of mudflows.

Two different risks are constantly confused. Floodwater collects low: narrow streets in the old town, the approaches to Bang Yai canal, and low-lying pockets in Kathu and Thalang. Landslides and mudflows come from above, down steep slopes where many homes and villas have been built in recent years. The slope is the more dangerous of the two. In Phuket Town the water rises and drops within hours, while the landslide behind Wat Kata has already cost lives. That is why the municipality now evacuates residents in advance, based on risk assessment, rather than waiting for the first rock to fall.

Provincial authorities mapped 62 flood-risk points before the season, later updated to 66. By district, the number of communities flagged as dangerous (floods and landslides) was 21 in Kathu, 15 in Mueang Phuket and 13 in Thalang. Pumps were installed at only 27 of the 62 points: 18 from the provincial administration, 8 from Phuket City Municipality and one from the regional DDPM office. At the remaining sites the terrain rules out equipment, so the line 'we have pumps here' guarantees nothing.

Seasonally, rain falls mainly from May to October. Local data cited by 2R Real Estate puts the peak at September and October, with roughly 350 mm and 336 mm on the 30-year average. A single few-hour downpour can still paralyse the island, and one can arrive in November too.

FAQ

Which sois in Phuket were evacuated because of the landslide risk?

The Karon order covered homes on Soi Patak 2, 4 and 6 at the foot of the hill behind Wat Kata. The shelters were Ban Kata School and Wat Suwan Khiri Khet.

How will I receive a warning?

The Karon evacuation was announced via Cell Broadcast, a mass message sent to every phone in a specific zone, with no app or subscription required. It arrives in Thai and English with a loud siren, even if your phone is on silent. Do not switch off emergency alerts in your phone settings, and keep a Thai SIM active if you winter on the island, since roaming foreign SIMs may not receive it. Cell Broadcast alerts for Phuket have been sent via AIS, True and NT. Also follow your municipality's official pages (Karon, Patong, Kathu, Ratsada), where evacuation orders are published first with the list of specific sois.

What do sandbags actually protect against?

Over 8,000 sandbags were stockpiled for the island, along with 41 pumps and drainage machines, and canals and drainage were cleared and completed at 75 sites. Collect bags from your local municipal office (tesaban); tenants are usually served through the owner or the condo management company. Sandbags only help when water creeps slowly along a street at 10-30 cm, protecting a doorway or an underground car park entrance. Against a mudflow from a slope they are useless, because a mass of water, soil and rock knocks down fences. If you are under a hill and receive an evacuation order, do not waste time sandbagging.

Where do people evacuate to, and what should I take?

For the 2026 season the island set up 70 temporary shelters for 27,720 people, while 133,461 people are on the lists of those who may need assistance during an evacuation. Authorities ask residents to take documents, medicines and essentials, and to help children, the elderly, people with disabilities and the bedridden. Foreigners should add: passport, a printout or photo of the TM30 and visa, a bank card and some cash, a power bank and charger, and sturdy closed shoes. A shelter means a floor, a mat and water. If your budget allows, book a hotel for two or three nights in a drier part of the island such as Rawai, Chalong or the flat part of Thalang, and decide before the order, because rooms nearby sell out on evacuation night.

How do I choose a rental or property that avoids flood and landslide zones?

Decide before signing, not mid-storm. Check where the house sits relative to the slope, where water drains from the plot, and what neighbours say about last September and October. A house on a slope above the road, with a fresh retaining wall and cut soil above it, is the worst option in the rainy season. A ground floor in a low area beside a canal floods regularly. Underground car parks in Phuket Town and Kathu lose cars and bikes more often than apartments flood. Ask the security guard rather than the agent, since guards remember how high the water came. Thai property guides also stress verifying land level, water pathways, access roads and flood history from several sources, not just price or project status. A fifth-floor condo on flat ground in Rawai is barely affected beyond a possible power cut.

Are the pumps enough to make evacuation unnecessary?

No. Pumps cover only 27 of 62 risk points, and no pump protects against a landslide.

Should I cancel an October trip to Phuket?

No, but choose accommodation that is not on a slope or a canal-side ground floor, and on a red-warning day avoid riding a bike in hilly areas such as the Karon-Patong road.

One practical tip: photograph your passport, visa and insurance today and save them to the cloud. In an evacuation shelter with a wet backpack, that will matter more than all the sandbags combined.

Source: The Nation Thailand

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