Indian Ocean Disaster - Thai Gov't screwed up - Again !!!

[gazlannathai]

http://www.chiangmainews.com/thenation/hea...s_15908069.html

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2004/12/28...s_15908069.html

Warning rejected to protect tourism
Published in "The Nation" on December 28, 2004

Minutes after the earthquake hit northern Sumatra at 7.58am on Sunday, officials of the Meteo-rological Department, who were at a seminar in Cha-am, convened an emergency meeting chaired by Supharerk Tansrirat-tanawong, director-general.

They had just learned that the Bangkok office had reported a quake measuring at 8.1 on the Richter scale, which was much lower than the
level officially recorded later.

“We didn’t think there would be subsequent seismic waves, because a similar quake of 7.6 on the Richter scale, which hit Sumatra on November 2, 2002, did not affect Thailand,” said a member of the department who asked not to be named.

Moreover, the quake this time hit west of Sumatra and officials thought the island might offer a natural shelter, preventing any waves from breaking towards Phuket and its vicinity, he said.

With slightly less than one hour before the waves came ashore, Supharerk said, the department officials did not expect a tsunami. There are just four people on the department’s 900-person staff who are earthquake experts, he said. Also, a tsunami had not hit Thailand in more than 300 years.

But sources said they did discuss the likelihood that a tsunami could hit Thailand’s Andaman Sea coastal towns. This was also played down.

“The very important factor in making the decision was that it’s high [tourist] season and hotel rooms were nearly 100-per-cent full. If we issued a warning, which would have led to evacuation, [and if nothing happened], what would happen then? Business would be instantaneously affected. It would be beyond the Meteorological Department’s ability to handle. We could go under, if [the tsunami] didn’t come,” said a source who attended the meeting.

“We hesitated for a while whether we should issue a warning or not. It was discussed but we didn’t have a chance to do it.”

Supharerk denied that tourism factored into the discussion at the 11th hour. “I think we have done our best,” he said.

Precisely at 9am that Sunday, waves as high as 3 to 10 metres hit the main southern coastal provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Ranong.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

Copied from -
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index....7&#entry242967

From experience out here - no-one will be held accountable for the failure to fulfill one of any Met Office's primary functions - to issue warnings about serious weather events that could cause casualties or damage to property. That's just the way it works throughout SE Asia - they'll all be scrabbling to "save face" and avoid blame.

[gazlannathai]

Who will take responsibility for negligent response?

Someone must be held accountable for the mishandling of information that lead to the thousands of deaths in the south of Thailand. Two years ago a similar quake of less magnitude hit the same area. The Meteorological Department issued warnings of possible tidal waves for the southern coast of Thailand. The tidal waves never arrived, but the general consensus was that “it was better safe than sorry”. If one remembers, the Meteorological Department was later reprimanded by the PM for causing a disruption to the tourism industry and went on to say that Thailand has not experienced a tidal wave or tsunami for over 300 years and was not likely to experience any in the near future.

This time decisions were made based on the events of 2002. It was decided that the tourism industry should not be disrupted, as it was the policy of this PM and this government to promote tourism at all costs. In addition, this "knowledgeable" PM has already ensured that it was unlikely that a tsunami would hit Thailand. Therefore warnings were never issued, resulting in thousands of deaths, including a grandson of His Majesty the King. So, will anyone be held accountable for deciding that lives were worth risking for the purposes of tourism?
Unfortunately the Thai word for “responsibility” or “accountability” incorporates the word for “taking blame” and “taking credit”, and it seems to be the norm for this government to take credit and neglect the blame. Credit must be given to the government for its efforts to assist the victims of this disaster, but let us not forget that if not for its arrogance, so many need not have perished.

Police Lt-Colonel Anantachai Hansasuta (Retired)

Bangkok
(The Nation Letters)

Finally - someone of rank with a sensible perspective - I was beginning to think they did not exist in Thailand

[gazlannathai]

Foreigners take brunt of deaths

The number of foreigners dead, injured and missing after a powerful tsunami lashed southern resort beaches was more than twice as many as local residents keeping many foreign embassies busy helping their countrymen.

Foreign embassies in Bangkok have put all their efforts into helping and searching for their citizens after receiving hundreds of calls. Many of them have set up special emergency centres on Phuket to expedite repatriation of their citizens. Most embassies have located just a fraction of their citizens and most of them are still reported as missing.

“The latest figure we have is more than 990 confirmed deaths. Of these, some 200 were Thais and the rest were foreigners,” said Sutham Saengprathum, deputy interior minister. The death toll is expected to increase and the total number could possibly go beyond 2000, he said.

Swedes are among the biggest foreign casualties from the killer wave, with 1,500 missing vacationers, tour operators said. So far rescue teams have found nine dead Swedes.

Yesterday about 40 Swedish tourists arrived in Bangkok at the Swedish Embassy, which is open 24 hours a day. They were provided with assistance. Some were sent to guesthouses, and the injured to hospitals.

Up to eight Filipinos are likely died at resort beaches after the tsunami struck on Sunday, Agence France-Presse reported, quoting the Philippines foreign department. At least five other Filipinos were being treated in southern hospitals, it said.

A Brazilian diplomat and her 10-year-old son were among those killed on Phi Phi island, the Brazilian embassy in Bangkok said. Embassy officials said they identified the bodies of the mission's first secretary, Lys Amayo de Benedek D'Avola, and her son, Jean Luca. The diplomat’s Italian husband was injured in the massive flooding, but their 20-year-old daughter, Thais, was unharmed. She was unharmed because she did not join her family on the beach but opted to stay in their hotel, according to Agence France-Presse.

Seven American citizens are confirmed dead and hundreds are still listed as missing, according to the US Embassy. The US Embassy has sent its staff to provide assistance in Phuket and Don Muang airport. “We are trying to issue new passports and repatriate them back to the US. Most of the tourists arriving at the embassy today have little money and their passports have been washed away by the waves,” an embassy official said. Most US survivors requested repatriation as soon as possible. The embassy has set up a 24-hour assistance hotline with more than 100 extension numbers.

An official at the Royal Dutch Embassy in Bangkok said the embassy was very busy from people calling to ask how they could find relatives and friends. The embassy could not confirm the number of injured or missing.

Germany’s embassy said there were 600 people reported missing. The embassy has so far found more than 800 Germans.

Irina Borisyuk, spokeswoman for the Russian Embassy, said 300 Russians are safe. But, 1,000 Russians were reported to be in the area when the tsunami struck. The embassy is now searching for a boy who was reported missing by his 33-year-old Russian mother in Phuket, she said.

The Austrian Embassy reported three citizens killed and that several hundreds were still missing. The embassy said it was trying its best assist victims and provide information to relatives calling from overseas. “Most tourists are traumatised and devastated by the incident. Most citizens are trying to contact their relatives at home. The embassy is issuing emergency documents for them to travel back home,” said an embassy officer.

The British Embassy ceased issuing visas to free up staff to handle the crisis.

--The Nation 2004-12-29


Hmmm - typical lack of info from the British Embassy .... too embarressed to admit how little they're doing for their citizens? I'm not being cynical - just observant based on past experiences.

[gazlannathai]

PM expects all bodies to be recovered today
Published Tues 28 Dec

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra disclosed he expected relief officials would manage to recover all bodies of victims of the Sunday’s massive tidal wave attack today, except those remaining unaccounted for.

Speaking before attending the cabinet meeting this morning, he conceded relief officials had experienced great difficulties finding and helping victims because of the equipment shortage.

The transfer of the victims from various spots in islands to hospital was also in trouble. Helicopters might be needed for the transfer. However, he believed the rescue operation would be put in place soon.

“What is terrible is that some rescue officials dare not enter in the spots following warnings of aftershocks. Some wounded people run to hills and refuse to come down for medical treatment because they remain frightened.

“It’s also difficult to find victims in some spots because communications and transportation routes are cut off.”

The premier said the rescue operation received full cooperation although it was rather in haste. It is expected the rescue officials would be able to recover all bodies of the victims today, except those who remained unaccounted for.

Most of the deaths from the natural disaster are foreign tourists because it is now a high season of tourism. Most visited with their family members.

Mr. Thaksin said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry and Tourism Authority of Thailand to fully coordinate with the embassies in looking after foreign tourists.

Should they want to return home, the government was ready to pay all costs to facilitate their travel.

Asked whether the government would seek international assistance, he said: “we are glad to receive assistance from any countries if they offer to help. However, we won’t seek help. We will try to help ourselves to the utmost first.”

The premier said he shared the common views for a need of international cooperation in the establishment of the early warning system. However, he did not have any knowledge on the matter at all.

--TNA 2004-12-28


First red post - What planet is he living on?
Blue post - yeah, like that would ever happen - he's a nationalist xenophobe
2nd Red post - completely contradicts statements in earlier posts

Like almost all expats here, I don't trust or believe anything he says

[merlin]

that was much better to read sorry for the outburst but so much easier to read one thread without distractions and i think the government should be lynched for not issuing warnings at least 90% of these people should still be alive now

[gazlannathai]

Agreed

The saddest part is that, for example on Phuket - high ground is only half a mile from the beach, on Khao Lan where 700 foreigners are believed dead, getting 400 yards inland could have saved them

Even a fat old fart like me could have covered that distance in under two and a half minutes with a tsunami racing for my ass

[gazlannathai]

"Mad" tourists arrive in Phuket

PHUKET: -- A trickle of determined tourists have jetted into the devastated Thai resort island of Phuket, arriving in almost-empty planes to the bewilderment of hundreds of survivors fleeing the tsunami disaster area.

"Our friends think we're mad," said Englishman Paul Cunliffe, an engineer from Manchester, as he sipped what looked like a gin and tonic on a short, lonely flight from the Malaysian capital on Wednesday.

"The only risk we face I think is if there's another quake...," he said, adding that he and his two companions were booked into a beach-front hotel that escaped serious harm. Hotel staff had assured them they would have a "wonderful holiday".

"We love the place that much and we thought we would take the risk," he said.

Hundreds of stressed, exhausted and bereaved holiday-makers are still streaming out of Phuket, three days after the most powerful quake in 40 years rent the seabed and unleashed waves that have killed nearly 80,000 people around the Indian Ocean rim.

Along Thailand's battered southern beaches, more than 1,600 people have been killed and corpses are rotting where tourists once sunned themselves. In Khao Lak, north of Phuket, almost every big hotel has been badly damaged.

But still the tourists trickle in.

"The Russians don't cancel," Phuket taxi driver Apichart observed dryly, recalling how he had ferried four of them to their beachside hotels on Wednesday. "They have so many problems where they come from, they don't care about tsunamis."

In the smoker's section of the departure lounge of Phuket's small airport, ashtrays overflowed with hundreds of cigarette butts as stressed-out tourists, each with a harrowing story to tell, waited in a cloud of smoke for their flight to board.

In the arrivals section, trolleys were piled high with orange stretchers, Red Cross parcels from Finland, bundles of blankets and rolls of white linen.

But it was business as usual in one surreal corner of the tourism industry: just before landing at Phuket, the pilot of Cunliffe's Thai Airways flight told his less than 30 passengers, "In Phuket, the weather is cloudy but otherwise fine."

--Reuters 2004-12-30

[shabbird]

Crazy tourists.. There is another tsunami predicted..BBC News

[gazlannathai]

Quote from an expat in Phuket

I went yesterday again to see my shop, whats left of it.
Road flooded with trafic and If I was in charge, stckers showing where car comes from, road was flooded with damned tuk tuks...

Secondly there is disease around so driving unless necessary into those places isnt good. Many dead still there, and like in my case my shop STINKS.
All those statistics of dead are crap. I would estimate at present Patong 4000, Kamala 2000, Bangtao 2000 (could be less)
Do not forget first wave was small ,second one was the killer.
I have seen these 3 beaches as my shop is/was in Kamala and I live in Bangtao.
Visited Patong yesterday and had confirmed that many died in basements and even more Thais died stealing from deserted shops, deservedly the ghouls.../grave robbers.
Now watch the big ones come in from Bangkok, buy land cheap from local Phuket people. No doubt all government related..
Main good thing is that government screwed up so extreemly, It's unlikely Mr T will be next PM. (oops)

[gazlannathai]

Another expat quote -

Whilst as we know, the impact on many hotels has been devestating, many many Phuket hotels are going to extraordinary lengths to try and get the message across internationally that they have either not been affected at all or have been only minimally affected - e.g. 1 pool out of operation and / or limited food & beverage facilities. Many of these will be 100% back on line in a matter of days too.

The media would have us believe that there isn't a hotel left standing, which is not the correct message. This link http://www.sawadee.com/tsunami/hotels.htm gives a better idea of what is & what isn't operational.

As tragic and sad as this whole situation is, if tourists stay away for any meaningful length of time, it will only further exacerbate the economic situation in Phuket, put thousands of local jobs at risk and further add to the human suffering.

Surely therefore, tourists wanting to either remain in Phuket for the balance of their holiday or indeed new tourist arrivals, will only help the recovery?