PATTAYA, Thailand – Strong overnight winds battered Pattaya in the early hours of May 11, causing a massive 50-year-old banyan tree to collapse onto a power pole and plunge an entire residential soi into darkness.
At around 00.10 hrs, municipal officials in Pattaya were alerted to a large tree and electricity pole that had fallen and blocked access inside Soi Arunothai, Central Pattaya. Upon arrival, authorities coordinated immediately with the Provincial Electricity Authority to assess damage and begin emergency response operations.
The scene revealed a large banyan tree, estimated to be over 50 years old, completely uprooted and crashing onto a power pole. The impact snapped the pole and brought down live electrical wires across the roadway, fully blocking vehicle access in and out of the soi. Residents were left without electricity as the entire area suffered a blackout.
Residents described the moment the storm hit as intense and sudden. One local, 29-year-old Thanakorn Phatthangam, said strong gusts rattled roofs across the neighborhood before a loud “explosion-like” sound was heard, followed by a sudden loss of electricity. He later received images confirming the fallen tree and rushed to the scene.
Another witness, 56-year-old “Pa Jupjang,” a local vendor near the incident, said she heard two loud impact-like sounds before seeing the massive tree collapse onto the road, immediately cutting off power throughout the area.
Municipal teams, along with utility workers, quickly mobilized to secure the area, remove debris, and begin cutting and clearing the fallen tree to reopen the roadway. Electricity officials simultaneously worked to repair damaged infrastructure and restore power to affected households.
Local officials confirmed that full restoration efforts are ongoing, with the goal of reopening the road to traffic as soon as possible. Mayor Poramet also visited the site to encourage cleanup teams and express support for workers handling the storm aftermath, stating that the road is expected to reopen later in the day once clearance is completed.
