Two elderly people drowned in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and a third person died after his fishing boat capsized in Pattani, according to Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
The storm, which blew through outlying islands off Thailand's eastern coast Friday before crossing mainland provinces, has now reached the Andaman Sea on the western side of the country, Thai Meteorological Department spokesman Phuwieng Prakhammintara told reporters.
Thai authorities had issued warnings and opened shelters fearing extensive damage from Pabuk as it approached Thailand, which does not usually experience such fierce weather conditions.
Pabuk made landfall Friday in the Pak Panang district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province around 3:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. ET), with maximum sustained wind speeds of 95 kilometers per hour (59 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Some of the country's most popular tourist destinations, including Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands, along with islands in the Andaman Sea such as Phuket and Koh Phi Phi -- made famous by the movie "The Beach" -- were affected by the storm during what is peak holiday season.
A number of holidaymakers found themselves stranded in their resorts as ferry crossings and flights were canceled for safety reasons.
Forecasters warned that torrential rain dumped by Pabuk over southern Thailand could bring flooding, with the possibility of mudslides from the Phuket mountain range on the western side of the peninsula.
Strong winds and high waves were expected to continue into Saturday; ships were ordered to remain on shore.
It is highly unusual for tropical storms and typhoons to make landfall in Thailand. The last time a tropical storm made landfall in Thailand was in 1962, when Tropical Storm Harriet claimed 900 lives. The only typhoon ever to make landfall in the Southeast Asian nation was Typhoon Gay in 1989.
The Royal Thai Navy's only aircraft carrier has been deployed along with two other ships to assist with rescue and relief operations, according to broadcaster Thai PBS.
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