PHITSANULOK – A tornado battered parts of Phitsanulok around 3.30 pm on Thursday, leaving a trail of destruction in Ban Tan Suwan, Don Thong Subdistrict, Mueang Phitsanulok District. The storm damaged over 20 houses and also affected a temple and a school in the area.
Reports confirm that a 70-year-old man, Jamlong Boonkong, was seriously hurt after being cut by shattered glass. He was taken to Buddhachinaraj Hospital for urgent treatment, suffering from several wounds.
Community leaders and residents moved quickly to assess the damage. Emergency help has been requested from both provincial and district authorities. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, along with the Provincial Electricity Authority, were asked to support families affected by the severe weather.
The tornado was brought on by unstable weather linked to the approaching Wipha storm, which has been moving near the lower northern region of Thailand. This shift in weather conditions resulted in the severe damage seen across the area.
Tornadoes are not common in Thailand, but they do happen. Most are linked to strong thunderstorms or tropical storms during the rainy season from May to October. Compared to places like the United States, tornadoes in Thailand usually cause less harm, with most rated as EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
Stronger tornadoes have been seen, but they remain unusual. Waterspouts, which are tornadoes that form over water, show up more often along Thailand’s coasts, especially in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.
Related Tornado Occurrences in Thailand:
- 6 October 2024 (Samut Prakan): A tornado struck near Bangkok, damaging more than 20 homes, bringing down trees, and causing building damage. No deaths occurred, but people left their homes due to fears of collapse. source
- 17 April 2024 (Phichit): Strong winds, possibly a tornado, damaged 108 homes in Wachirabarami District. source
- 9 March 2018 (Sakon Nakhon): An official tornado caused heavy damage, killed one person, and thunderstorms hit 24 other provinces. source
- 25 April 2025 (Phuket): A waterspout was seen from a Thai AirAsia plane. It stayed over the sea, creating a dramatic sight but causing no harm on land. source
- 13 August 2023 (Phetchaburi): A waterspout flipped a boat, leading to six injuries and two missing people.
Fictional or Unverified Tornado Reports
Some websites, such as Hypothetical Tornadoes Wiki, mention made-up events like a 2005 F5 tornado in Pai that supposedly killed 169 people or a massive outbreak in 2025 with 68 tornadoes. These stories are not factual or backed up by real sources.
Why Are Tornadoes Unusual in Thailand?
Thailand’s tropical weather, with warm seas and high humidity, brings lots of rain and storms but does not often create the right setup for powerful supercell thunderstorms. These supercells are the main source of strong tornadoes in other parts of the world. In Thailand, tornadoes tend to form during monsoon squalls or when typhoons move through, and flooding is usually a bigger problem than tornadoes themselves.
Effects of Tornadoes in Thailand
Most tornadoes here cause damage in small areas, such as ripping off roofs, knocking down trees, or cutting off power. In areas where buildings are weaker, these impacts can lead to flash floods or landslides. The Thai Meteorological Department keeps an eye out for these storms and lets people know when severe weather is coming, asking them to stay safe and secure their homes.
