A short, but severe, thunderstorm knocked down about 30 utility poles, knocking out power in Pattaya.
Thirty minutes of wind and rain April 22 caused a domino-like collapse of power poles on Soi Nonghin in East Pattaya, knocking out lights to homes. Large billboards on Sukhumvit Road also were blown down.
The Provincial Electric Authority had its hands full uprighting the 32 poles that collapsed, causing more than 3 million baht in damage. No one was injured.
The Kijrungrueng steel shop also saw its advertising billboard fall victim to the wind. The big metal sign came down and destroyed the roof of the store below.
Electric posts over a stretch of 1 kilometer were taken down by the powerful winds.
Witnesses said that the storm hit without warning; just a simple clap of thunder, and they weren’t prepared. The sign came crashing down in seconds, taking out the roof of the shop, although the people inside managed to escape without injury.
Many trees around town also went down, damaging vehicles and private property. Electricians claimed that it would take at least two days to get everything back up and working properly.
