TAT warns of Bt40 billion damage to tourism industry


Thailand`s tourism industry could lose over Bt40 billion unless tourism in the six Andaman provinces affected by last month`s tsunami picks up within three months, the Tourism Authority of Thailand warned.

TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan said that a failure of the Andaman tourism sector to revive over the first quarter of the year could see tourist numbers drop by five million, causing a loss of around Bt43 billion in revenue. By the second quarter of the year, this figure could jump to Bt52.4 billion, or Bt78.3 billion after 12 months.

The grim scenario would dash the government`s hopes of attracting around 12 million domestic and foreign tourists to the Andaman region this year. Domestic tourism could be particularly badly affected, with the worst case predictions envisaging a drop of 50 percent in Thai visitors.

The TAT has now embarked on a desperate public relations campaign to restore confidence in the provinces where over 5,000 people died when massive tidal waves hit on 26 December. Over the coming weeks, international media networks and tour operators are being invited to the region to see for themselves the progress being made on rebuilding the region`s resorts and tourist attractions.

Mrs. Juthamas said that the TAT was initially concentrating on the Chinese market, due to the imminence of Chinese New Year, when many Chinese traditionally visit tourist resorts such as Phuket.

For Thai tourists, the TAT is working with tour operators to organize cut-price Andaman tour packages. The TAT also hopes to attract more incentive and conference tourists to the region. Additional publicity is being provided by well-known public figures and sports stars visiting the area at the invitation of the government.

However, Mrs. Juthamas warned that in some cases the media was doing more harm than good, in particular by publishing stories of reported local ghost sightings following the tsunami.

Nonetheless, she expressed confidence that the next three months would see a rising number of visitors to Phuket.

Theodore Koumelis - Monday, January 24, 2005

http://www.traveldailynews.gr/images/20658.jpg

YUWADEE TUNYASIRI

A tsunami warning system linkage between Thailand and the tsunami warning centre in Hawaii is planned in the next two weeks.

In March, a national danger alert centre will be set up to issue danger warnings via the media, local warning centres and SMS messaging.

Smith Dharmasarojana, assistant to the minister at the Prime Minister's Office, said new disaster alert systems will be installed and the national centre for co-ordinating danger warnings will be established at the former Post and Telegraph Department building on Chaeng Watthana road in March. Information from the danger warning stations would be used to alert the people via the media, television and radio, local warning centres and through the 20 million mobile phones nationwide. If approved by the government, the danger warning stations will first be set up in high-risk areas in the next 6-12 months, starting with the western part of the South to ensure that warnings would reach those having no access to television and radio, he added.

Mr Smith said the danger warning stations would be in the shape of towers, between 20-30m high and resistant to waves and winds. The unmanned stations, using solar energy to power, will issue warnings with sirens.

Charles MacCreery, director of the Pacific Warning Centre in Hawaii, visited Thailand yesterday and promised that his centre, the world's largest, would support Thailand by linking its network with Thailand's danger alert systems. Initially, Thailand would be warned about the tsunami dangers via a hotline and special fax to be installed at the Meteorological Department in 1-2 weeks.

The Hawaii centre would also make exchanges of seismologists with Thailand and grant scholarships to Thais to study seismology in Hawaii. The cooperation would improve the efficiency of the country's danger warning systems, the former chief of the Meteorological Department said.

BP

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid154/p3634339eab6bed6b86e7f529c787a071/f571d538.jpg


สนใจช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบภัยสึนามิ
สามารถไปตามลายแทงได้ที่นี่ http://www.intania82.com/index.php?showtopic=837

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid154/pb41016d702f573fa5df0b3589e996280/f571d528.jpg

มีงานมากมายให้เลือกทำครับ
เดินทางไปกลับฟรีสบายใจ
ขอเพียงมีใจ และมีแรง

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid154/p4607014f3e10a12f708f2f9882ad3e49/f571d4ff.jpg

ความเสียหายมากกว่าที่คิด
เสียดายว่าภาพนั้นถ่ายทอดกลิ่นออกมาไม่ได้
หวังว่าความสะเทือนใจนี้จะยังผลให้ท่านลดความประมาทในสังขารลงได้บ้าง.

^ That looks like bomb damage

Heavy focus on ads and updated news

NONDHANADA INTARAKOMALYASUT


The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will submit a plan to woo tourists back to the six tsunami-affected provinces on the Andaman coast to a workshop due to be chaired tomorrow by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The plan includes the launch of advertising and public relation activities through domestic television and radio networks, as well as print media, to offering tour packages to local travellers, inviting foreign media to visit the tsunami-hit area, and co-operating with financial institutions to urgently provide funding to affected tourism-related operators.

The TAT will set aside 20 million baht for the initial ad campaign to be carried out over the next two months.

TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan said TV and radio commercials would be launched to restore confidence among tourists in hygiene and safety in the area, while an Andaman Travel handbook would also be distributed to update the situation and promote unaffected tourist spots.

The advertising would be paid for from the regular budget of the TAT, she said.

English-language video clips on the current situation of the affected area would be broadcast on airlines under the Star Alliance and through the network of travel distribution agents such as Amadeus, Cendant and Abacus, she said.

At the same time, the TAT has joined local airlines and travel agents in offering tour packages to Thais at attractive prices to help boost the tourism business in the tsunami-hit area.

A ''pilgrimage tour'' to make merit and perform a religious ceremony for the victims would be held on Feb 13 to mark the 50-day anniversary of the tragic event.

The TAT is also working with the Stock Exchange of Thailand in bringing 300 executives of listed firms to hold a seminar in Phuket in March and about 150 listed companies would later hold meetings in the six southern provinces, she said.

Over the next few months, some 1,500 members of foreign media will be invited to the Andaman coast to observe the area and promote the destinations worldwide.

The TAT will also provide training courses to staff in hospitality and tourism-related industries who have lost their jobs or are temporarily laid off.

She said the training courses would cost around 50 million baht and the TAT would ask the government for an additional budget to support the programmes.

So far this month, foreign arrivals are down 9% from the same period last year, though Mrs Juthamas said the situation had been better than expected as some foreign tourists were returning to the area.

On Chinese New Year, 20,000 tourists from China, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore are expected to visit the kingdom, generating approximately 1.5 billion baht.

Several chartered flights from Sweden have also confirmed trips to Thailand next month.

Southeast Asian countries, meanwhile, have expressed confidence that their tourism industries will return to normal, but pleaded with Western governments not to warn against travel to disaster-hit areas.

In the aftermath of the tsunami, many European governments, such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, issued advisories to their citizens not to travel to devastated areas in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives. Some of the advisories have since been lifted.

''We call on governments to be fair and responsible in issuing travel advisories,'' the Asean tourism ministers said in a statement after a two-day conference in Langkawi, Malaysia..

Japan and China pledged to help, saying they would promote the region's beach resorts to the 45 million Japanese and Chinese tourists that go abroad each year.

''The area affected by the tsunami was a very, very small patch of the Asean nations, and also these affected areas are now under reconstruction,'' said Hayao Hora, Japan's vice-minister for international affairs in the land, infrastructure and transport ministry.

Sun Gang, China's top delegate at the talks in Langkawi, added: ''China will work closely with Asean countries to assist them to recover tourism in this region.


''http://www.bangkokpost.net/Business/260105_bus01.jpg
WET WEDDINGS
Presenters at Central Lat Phrao promote a tourism festival to be held in Trang from Feb 15-17, sponsored by the Trang Chamber of Commerce, Thai Airways International, United Broadcasting Corp and the TAT. The southern province for the past several yesrs has been the site of underwater wedding ceremonies on Valentine's Day. — Chanat Katanyu/bp

Published on January 27, 2005

The president of the Phuket Tourism Business Association yesterday asked the media not to run articles about ghosts or superstitious aspects of tsunami-affected areas as it has a negative impact on tourism.

Phattanaphong Ekwanich said that any mysterious happenings after the tsunami that killed thousands of people on December 26 were just figments of peoples’ imagination, as rites for all faiths have been held for the dead so they could rest in peace.

“It’s inappropriate for media operators such as Thai television to be presenting this aspect because it is not amusing and also has a serious impact on the tourist industry, affecting Asian people in particular as many of them believe in spirits,” said Phattanaphong.

Almost all media in Asia have concentrated on this subject, he said. He asked media outlets to drop the subject as it was negating efforts to revive the tourism industry.

Chalermkiat Ongjarean, chairman of the Kusonlatham Foundation, said the foundation had held religious ceremonies between January 18-24, helping thousands of spirits rest in peace so tourists could be sure that there are no restless souls.

In related news, the executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, Joseph Tung, said the number of people booking holidays in Phuket for Chinese New Year was down nearly 70 per cent on last year. Many direct flights to Phuket have been cancelled. Bookings for Japan, South Korea, China, Europe and Australia had risen, Tung said.

The chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents, Michael Wu, said Chinese people believed that one should avoid places where many people have died, especially during the New Year Festival.

np

I just found this very positive article about Thai tsunami story in one of the most prestigious medical journal in the world "The Lancet". It was in this week issue written by Jonathan Watts

Thailand shows the world it can cope alone : Thailand's efficient response left foreign medical teams arriving in the country with nothing to do

Thailand's health-care community has won plaudits for its swift response to the tsunami disaster, but with the initial problems of trauma and disease now seemingly under control, it still faces a huge task in dealing with psychosocial stress and the identification of bodies.

Compared with other badly affected nations, Thailand had several advantages. Its economy was not only strong enough for the government to decline offers of international aid, but it was also able to make financial contributions to Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Nationally, the health infrastructure is well-developed with good basic care--especially in the affected regions of Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga which boast several well-equipped medical centres that cater for wealthy foreigners holidaying in the region.

In terms of buildings and staff, the medical community was also less damaged by the tsunami than Indonesia or Sri Lanka. Apart from the devastation of the clinic on Phi Phi island, most centres escaped major damage and few doctors and nurses were among the casualties.

Transport was also less of a problem, which allowed a rapid influx of 200 emergency medical workers and tens of thousands of volunteers from elsewhere in Thailand within the first 48 h.

According to WHO's representative for Thailand, William Aldis, these factors contributed to a mortality rate of just 0·3% for the 8000 plus cases submitted to hospitals.

"How they pulled this off is stunning considering the multiple injuries of many of the patients", says Aldis. "There was not a single foreign team there. They took care of people internally. And they were able to do it because of the system that was already on the ground. There is a lot to learn from Thailand's experience. It shows that preparedness is a matter of having a good health system."

Aldis says he was equally impressed with the measures put in place to deal with the risk of a secondary wave of morbidity from contagious diseases. Emergency food, water, and medical supplies were quickly provided to the worst-affected areas. Learning from the recent problems with SARS and Avian influenza, the bureau of epidemiology under the ministry of health has set up a real-time surveillance system for tracking and responding to possible outbreaks of bacterial meningitis, child pneumonia, cholera, and other diseases that can break out among displaced communities which have to live in crowded temporary conditions.

According to the bureau's latest report, there have been no signs of these killer pathogens. The most common ailment has been non-cholera diarrhoea, of which there have been 1077 cases with one death. Next comes wound infections, with 441 cases and no fatalities. And lower down the list, septicaemia, of which there have been 12 cases with one death. Thailand has used its own medical supplies, which has lowered the risks relating to out-of-date and poorly labelled foreign drugs--a common problem in international relief operations.

The number of refugees is unclear. Estimates range between 3000 and 7000, reflecting the flux of homeless people moving from initial jungle shelters on high ground to government-run refugee camps, to families and friends in the local community. A further complication is the large number--thought to be in the tens of thousands--of illegal Burmese migrants affected.

Doctors and aid workers at the temporary refugee camps set up to house those who have lost their homes say there are adequate supplies of food, water, and medicine. It has been reported that children at these temporary shelters have also been vaccinated against measles. With the risks of disease receding, the major challenge now is dealing with the psychological impact of the tsunami. Almost half the residents of the Ban Muang camp, the largest in the country, have lost a member of their family. Everyone has suffered the devastation of their property and livelihoods and many have come close to death. Many show signs of mental trauma, such as nightmares about walls of water, sudden mood swings, and an inability to concentrate. According to UNICEF, 25% of surviving children are afraid to go to school.

Although traumatic, this crisis has given Thailand an opportunity to show that it can take care of its own. As Aldis notes, one wealthy foreign nation dispatched a team of 10 medical professionals to Thailand, but they were told there was nothing for them to do.

"After a disaster, the classical reaction of rich countries is to send medical teams", says Aldis. "Thailand finds that patronising."

Jonathan Watts

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) is to convene a high level international meeting in Phuket between January 31 - February 1 to discuss an action plan for regional tourism recovery in the wake of the December 26, 2004, tsunami disaster.

The Emergency Session of the WTO Executive Council will be attended by senior representatives of the WTO, several international and regional organizations as well as industry leaders worldwide.

Phuket has been chosen as the venue for the meeting to demonstrate the support of the international tourism community for the affected countries.

Twelve countries have suffered severe physical and structural damage but the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives in the popular Indian Ocean destinations has heightened the importance of the disaster.

The WTO has praised the speed at which the Royal Thai Government has acted to restore normalcy to the Andaman area.

Mrs Juthamas Siriwan, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) thanked the WTO for choosing Phuket as the venue of the meeting.

As most of the affected areas were tourist spots, Mrs Juthamas said Thailand would be sharing with the delegates its extensive experience in crisis management and recovery planning.

She said, “Now, the most important thing is to start rebuilding the economy in the affected areas as the livelihood of thousands of locals depends on it.

“I am confident that the presence of so many senior executives in Phuket at the meeting will boost the image and restore confidence of the visitors in the island’s safety and readiness to receive visitors.

“It will also give the guests a chance to see that barring a few areas that have suffered serious damage, most of the other places have been restored and are fully operational,” she added.

The agenda includes a technical meeting to be held jointly with organizations like the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to assess the impacts of tsunamis on tourism to the Asian countries.

Following the meetings, TAT will launch a range of global marketing campaigns to bring back visitors to the country.

The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Madrid, is the leading international organization in the field of tourism and serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and practical source of tourism know-how.

In 2004, the WTO`s membership comprised of 144 countries, seven territories and more than 300 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.

Theodore Koumelis - Thursday, January 27, 200

RANJANA WANGVIPULA

Thailand will join the century-old World Exposition in Japan in March to promote tourism in areas hit by the tsunami and to convince the world its food exports are safe to eat despite bird flu.

''The benefits will be more than a learning centre for foreigners because the exhibition will also serve as our market place,'' said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suvit Khunkitti.

First held in 1851in London, this year's World Expo features nature-related wisdom, including living in the 21th century. The 972-square-metre Thai pavilion will emphasise the traditional harmony between people and nature.

''We will also show tourism images, using our way of life to spark tourism,'' said Pong-Anan Sunpanich, director for advertising and public relations of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The World Expo will run for 185 days from March 25 to Sept 25 in Aichi. It is expected to draw millions of visitors who could become future tourists to Thailand and buyers of farming products, including broiled chicken.

Thai cooking will also be featured.

bp

Airlines, Tour Operators Rush to Offer Deals to Thailand

By Carol Sottili
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 30, 2005; Page P07

Asian tourism officials are entreating tourists to return to Phuket and other
regions hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

"The majority of tourism infrastructure in Phuket remains intact, with only 10
percent of total rooms inventory impacted," said the Pacific Asia Travel
Association (PATA) in a news release. "Many places are operating normally." PATA
has posted informational maps, videos and fact sheets for tourists on its Web
site, www.pata.org.

In a statement on its Web site, the Phuket Tourist Association
(www.phukettourist.com) said, "It is important to see that we do not suffer from
a second wave -- this one an economic crisis caused by fleeing tourists. . . .

"It is, of course, very kind of people to provide donations to various
organizations. Instead of dropping money in a donation box and staying home,
however, it would be more helpful now to bring that money yourself and spend it
here as a normal tourist."

The World Tourism Organization, an agency of the United Nations, will hold a
special emergency session on Phuket beginning tomorrow to demonstrate support
and solidarity. "It is heartening to note that a large number of tourists have
insisted on staying on in Phuket to continue with their holidays, thus
contributing to the early recovery of tourism on the island," said a WTO statement.

Many hotels have remained open in Phuket, although the harder-hit areas of Khao
Lak and Phi Phi Island "could take a year or more to recover," according to
PATA. Sawadee.com, a Thai hotel reservation system, said last week that 117
hotels in Phuket remain open for business; 24 are closed, but have a reopen
date; and 15 are closed for the long term or cannot be contacted. About 35
hotels are now offering promotional rates to attract tourism; book online at
www.phuket.sawadee.com/hotels/index.html.

Airlines and tour operators are also rushing to offer deals to Phuket and other
resort areas of Thailand. Among the best:

• Cathay Pacific (www.cathay-usa.com) is offering a sale fare to Bangkok of $671
round trip from New York, including taxes. Purchase by tomorrow and travel Feb.
15-April 15.

• Thai Airways (www.thaiairways.com) has created an air pass good between three
cities within Thailand for $179 plus taxes. For example, fly from Bangkok to
Chiang Mai to Phuket back to Bangkok for $210 including taxes.

• Nok Air (www.nokair.com), a discount domestic airline, has round-trip fares of
$65 between Bangkok and Phuket. Similar fares are being offered by competitor
Orient Thai (www.orient-thai.com).

• The Tourism Authority of Thailand's "Love You Andaman" promotion, launched
last week to jump-start tourism to Phuket and nearby regions, offers six
packages to Phuket and Krabi starting at $143 per person double, including
round-trip flights from Bangkok to Phuket, two nights' lodging, all meals for
three days and sightseeing tours. Info: www.tourbyyou.com.

• Gate 1 Travel has a 13-night "Affordable Thailand With Phuket" tour departing
Feb. 13 starting at $1,529 per person double, plus about $186 taxes, that
includes round-trip air from Los Angeles, flights from Chiang Mai to Phuket to
Bangkok, accommodations, breakfasts, sightseeing by motorcoach and
English-speaking guide. Info: 800-682-3333, www.gate1.com.

• Friendly Planet (800-555-5765, www.friendlyplanet.com) has a 15-night "Amazing
Thailand Plus Phuket Island" tour with availability for several departures in
March and April starting at $1,299 per person double, plus $140 taxes, that
includes airfare from Los Angeles, internal flights, accommodations, some meals
and several sightseeing tours.

[b]? Nok Air (www.nokair.com), a discount domestic airline, has round-trip fares of $65 between Bangkok and Phuket. Similar fares are being offered by competitor Orient Thai (www.orient-thai.com).
These are the ones I'm most familar with since just before the tsunami, and they don't seem any cheaper than before it happened.

International flights seem to have lowered prices now though. I've seen one way tickets Stockholm-Bkk from less than 200 USD

Yeah indeed, Jo

US$ 65 = 2,600bt equivalent to, is more precious than internaional sector if you are buying one extenson sector btw phuket from TG or even b4 disaster while flying with them obviously

Fuel surcharge and tax impied would one of those important factor to be reflecting :) on the selling price inevitably

In additional, more int'l carrier are now in edge of promtional after Tsuname & boat accident together with bird flu during to the period of Chinese New Year holiday to come, exclusively from oversea market to that urge the flow back to the kingdom. ie. CX fly from HKG just now in selling @ HK$1,400 and CI btw TPE is set by NT$7,000 even to KLM @ about NT$6,600 etc .............................

Domostic travel industry & no-frills airline are facing to the cold seasoning is more be severe than ever

It must be difficult for them to survive huh, except for those with a regular carrier operation as a backup.

But it's a good opportunity to go to Thailand now :)

PHUKET: A special joint publication of The Nation and The Phuket Gazette entitled 26.12.04: Wrath Of The Tsunami is on sale now at bookstores across Thailand and from all regular Gazette distribution agents.

All net proceeds from the 48-page full-color photo memoir, priced at only 90 baht, will be donated to charities aiding tsunami victims and their families.

A copy will be delivered to all Phuket Special Delivery subscribers free of charge with this week’s Phuket Gazette.

For airmail delivery abroad, the following mailing charges will apply:

Asia: 200 baht (approx US$5)

Europe: 250 baht (approx US$8)

Americas: 280 baht (approx US$8)

Payment methods for overseas buyers:

1. E-payments: Go here.

2. For bank transfers, wire your payment to:

Bank: Bank of Asia

Swift Code: BKASTHBK

Account Name: The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd

Account Number: 021-1-01280-2

Please fax a copy of your deposit receipt, along with your mailing address, to the Phuket Gazette at +66-76-213971.

For more information, contact: K. Pam (English) or K. Mem (Thai) on Tel: 66-76-236555 (from abroad) or 076-213971 (in Thailand); or Email: photomemoir@phuketgazette.net.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/newsimages/bull1292005-4033-1.jpg

Thailand has over 700 registered orphans who lost one or both parents in the tsunamis that raked six southern provinces, more than double the number from two weeks ago, a senior official said.

Wallop Ploythabthim from the social development and human security ministry says the majority of orphans are living with relatives.

"The figure is not yet finalised but I hope it will only increase slightly from 711 as I expect we could have the final figure by the end of this month," he said.

"Less than 100 children have had both father and mother killed."

Among those orphaned, 630 were from the six affected provinces of Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Ranong, Trang and Satun, while the remaining 81 were from elsewhere but their parents had been working in tsunami-hit areas.

Mr Wallop said the government would provide orphans with scholarships through to university level and provide clothes and educational materials.

Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai had said on January 12 that 323 Thai children had lost one or both parents in the disaster.

Tsunami orphans have become focal points of the charity and assistance effort in Thailand and the wider south Asian region, but they have also been the subjects of controversy in the wake of the tragedy.

In Sir Lanka, a baby grabbed world media attention as a "celebrated" tsunami orphan when a row broke out over several couples claiming him as their own.

Last week Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi donated half a million euros to a Sri Lankan orphans program.

But the world's biggest grouping of Islamic nations, the Organisation of Islamic Conference, has established an alliance to rescue tsunami orphans from "illegal" foreign influences, Malaysian media said.

There were reports earlier this month that missionary groups would place orphans from Indonesia's stricken Aceh province in Christian children's homes, drawing protests from the world's largest Muslim country.

-AFP

[World News]: BANGKOK - Thailand will push ahead alone with a tsunami warning system after failing to get backing from its Asian neighbours for its bid to oversee a regional centre, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Monday.

"We do not care whether any country does or does not agree. We will do it ourselves even though it will mean that Thailand has to invest alone with our own money," Thaksin told reporters.


The United Nations emerged on Saturday as a likely coordinator for a regional warning set-up after a meeting of officials from 43 nations including India, Indonesia and Thailand failed to agree on who should run it.

Dealing a blow to Bangkok's leadership plans, India and Indonesia dug in their heels at the meeting on the tsunami-hit Thai holiday island of Phuket, saying they were best placed to host a regional centre.

RANJANA WANGVIPULA

Geologists have added Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces to the national map of quake-prone areas for fear of more violent seismic activity arising from the undersea quake off Sumatra that caused the deadly tsunamis in December.

Bangkok had been previously classified as having a low earthquake risk, but the magnitude 9.0 quake on Dec 26 has geologists worried it may have activated fault lines in western Thailand.

Only 10 provinces in the North and West of the country, including Kancha-naburi where there are two large dams, have been listed as areas most vulnerable to earthquakes and are in so-called ``red zones''.

But geologists believe the recent quake that caused tidal waves and destruction required a rewrite of the map of quake-prone areas. Bangkok, with many high-rise buildings, needed to be included.

``Bangkok soil is, by nature, soft clay, which can amplify quake magnitudes by two or three times,''said Somsak Potisat, chief of the Mineral Resources Department.

The department rleased a 2005 version of the national quake-risk map yesterday during a two-day international seminar on establishing a tsunami early warning system.

The map put Bangkok and neighbouring provinces such as Samut Prakan, one of the country's most industrialised areas, at higher risk of a future quake.

The department plans to forward the new map to the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning and ask for a new law requiring stronger building design in the future.

The move quickly prompted Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suvit Khunkitti to call for reinforcement of existing buildings so they would be more resistant to unpredictable quakes.

``The public should not panic,'' senior chief engineer Thiraphan Thongpravati, of the Department of Public Works and Town Country Planning said after learning of the new map. Engineers had always been aware of possible quake risk when designing buildings in Bangkok.

A special panel under the Building Control Committee is also reviewing legal requirements for future building design, which would force engineers to adjust building specifications so they would be able to resist stronger quakes.

``The Dec 26 quake was a load test for Bangkok buildings on how their strength resisted tremors,'' Mr Thiraphan said.

bp

Thailand Hosts MTV Tsunami Charity Show

RSS Feeds From ABC 7 Thursday February 03, 2005 3:58pm


BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - R&B star Alicia Keys led an array of singers and other international celebrities who entertained an enthusiastic audience of thousands to raise money for tsunami relief work.

The MTV Asia Aid event in Bangkok Thursday night brought together Western musicians and actors from India's Bollywood film industry to aid relief efforts in countries devastated by the Dec. 26 disaster.

Thailand's own sultry pop singer Tata Young was an early performer on a bill that included India's Asha Bhosle, Good Charlotte from the United States and Taiwan's Jay Chou.

Sting, 50 Cent and Robbie Williams voiced their support in taped messages. The crowd also saw a tape of Ricky Martin touring the devastated areas of southern Thailand last week.

On the Net: http://www.mtvasiaaid.com .


http://216.250.230.16/rgn_thailand_0203.gif

More News (http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=174020)

EARLY WARNING: System by April – PM

Published on February 13, 2005

Thaksin pledges quick installation

A tsunami early-warning system will be installed by April at the latest, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said in his radio programme yesterday.

He said Thailand planned to have the warning system in place with or without other countries in the region taking part and was prepared to pay Bt400 million for the facility.

The prime minister said the official in charge of developing the tsunami warning system, Samit Thammasarot, had made a rough study of the plan together with a team of experts and they expected it to be in place next month or in April at the latest.

Within two years a permanent facility will be operating.

Thaksin said countries had begun to stop warning their travellers about the danger of tsunamis and in the areas stricken by the December disaster nature had resumed its normal course more quickly than people believed it could.

Nevertheless, he said he would give his personal attention to getting the tsunami-stricken areas restored to their former condition.

He said that as part of efforts to restore the morale of the local tourism industry the Miss Universe pageant later this year would be held, in part, in Phuket.

The prime minister said a government plan to spend Bt250 million on promoting tourism had been reconsidered in the light of possible escalating costs and the private sector would now organise tourism promotion on its own.

Thaksin also announced that two former US presidents, Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior, would visit Thailand next week, making an overnight stopover on Friday before flying to other countries.

-------

Finnish visitors start to return

More than 200 Finnish tourists arrived at Phuket last week on the first flight from Finland to Thailand since the December tsunami disaster.

They were welcomed at Phuket airport by a colourfully clad local orchestra and guides from Finnish travel operators, happy to see their trade beginning to return to normal.

A total of 174 Finnish citizens are believed to have perished in the tsunami. The charter plane that brought the first influx of tourists then carried the bodies of nine Finnish victims back to Finland.

Some of the Finnish visitors are staying at the Orchid Resort Hotel, where the victim identification unit of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation has an office.

Most beaches on Phuket are now in good condition, as is the beach at Krabi on the mainland. The only unusual thing is the relatively small number of people. In the Patong area many hotels and other buildings are still under repair, but tourists are already coming back.

Far from being deterred by the disaster, some of this week’s arrivals from Finland had become interested in Phuket after having seen news stories about the disaster. Others had even been there when the tsunami hit, and returned to see how recovery was progressing.

-------

Taking care of the orphans

Children affected by the tsunami will likely enjoy free admission year round to the Dusit Zoo, said Sophon Damnui, director of the Zoological Park Organisation. He said that he believed his proposal to offer free tickets would be approved at a board meeting next week.

Orphaned children from six schools in the worst-hit areas of Phang Nga’s Baan Nam Khem have been on a trip to Bangkok to join relief programmes – including psychological support – held by the military. About 130 orphans, accompanied by about 80 adults, visited the Grand Palace, Science Museum, and Dusit Zoo.

Among the children who joined the programme, 91 of them lost their mothers, while 24 lost their fathers and the rest lost both parents. The orphaned youths will also be granted Bt6,500 for travel expenses and an additional Bt50,000-scholarship for their future education, funded by public donations.

Most children said they enjoyed sightseeing in Bangkok while some said they would like to stay longer because the trip kept them from feeling lonely.

Ten-year-old Routhairat Yangyoo, who lost her father in the tsunami, said that if possible, she wanted to continue her stay in Bangkok where she has seen so many people, adding that if she went back home she would have nightmares and think about her father.

np

Bangkok to buy quake-detecting equipment


BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thailand plans to buy 100 million baht (US$2.6 million; euro2.02 million) worth of earthquake-measuring equipment to help warn of disasters like the Asian tsunami, state media reported Sunday.

The government has approved funding for seismological equipment and mobile warning units that will monitor movements of the earth's crust, the Thai News Agency reported. It did not give further details about the equipment.

Phiphob Wasuwanich, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Mineral Resources, was quoted as saying the project will focus on Thailand's western regions, from northern Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces to southern Narathiwat.

The department is mapping Thailand's fault lines and providing information on earthquake risks to people living in threatened areas, particularly the six tsunami-hit provinces along the Andaman Sea coast - Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun, the report said.

Nearly 5,400 people died when the Dec. 26 waves, driven by a massive underwater earthquake off Indonesia, hit Thailand's southwestern coast. Many of the victims were foreigners vacationing at the area's renowned beach resorts. Almost 3,100 others are still missing.

Former US presidents Bush, Clinton visit Thailand seeking more tsunami aid



Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush said they were seeking billions more dollars in donations to meet long-term needs of tsunami-stricken countries, after visiting a Thai fishing village ravaged by the waves.

The two leaders warned that while an unprecedented seven billion dollars in post-tsunami aid had been raised to date, as much as five billion more was needed for reconstruction across the Indian Ocean.

Affected nations need "11 or 12 billion dollars to restore homes, rebuild wells, sanitation facilities (and) the economic infrastructure," Clinton said.

"What we have to do now is not to forget these people and places when all the cameras are not there."

Speaking at a press conference with Bush and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Clinton said Thailand was "in a position to deal with this and have things back to normal perhaps within a year or so."

"In Banda Aceh and in Sri Lanka they'll have bigger problems because they lost more people," he added.

"Our mission is simply humanitarian, and we're just thrilled to be trying to raise funds in the States," said Bush, who admitted it was "very emotional" to see the scale of destruction on Thailand's coast.

Clinton and Bush, appointed by President George W. Bush to head private fundraising efforts following the disaster, are also set to visit Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives from Sunday.

The two men began their four-nation tour in the devastated fishing village of Baan Nam Khem, where they were met by 30 school children who lost parents in the tsunami that ripped through the Indian Ocean, killing nearly 289,000 people, most of them in Indonesia

They also visited the first house to be rebuilt after the December 26 tsunami wiped out this community and destroyed the fishing boats that had been the livelihood of residents.

"By coming here, we can see what needs to be done," Clinton said.

Thaksin said the Thai people were touched by American support.

"We are friends indeed, and we will continue to discuss the ways the two presidents and the private sector will come to support the rehabilitation here in Thailand."

Bush -- the current US president's father -- hailed "the spirit of the Thai people who are determined to rebuild their lives."

Clinton dressed in a blue shirt, the color of his Democratic party, and Bush in red for his Republicans, walked through the town where the Thai army was building 700 new homes for residents.

The pair was greeted by scores of residents as well as American and Canadian volunteers who were working on recovery projects, including a scheme to provide new boats to fisher folk here.

Baan Nam Khem, with almost half its population of 5,000 believed to have perished, was among the most devastated communities in Thailand's hardest-hit province of Phang Nga, which suffered the vast majority of the nation's nearly 5,400 dead.

Roughly half the dead are believed to be foreign tourists who were vacationing on Thailand's famous beaches.

After leaving Baan Nam Khem, Bush and Clinton went to a memorial wall at a disaster victim identification unit where they laid flowers for victims from around the world.

At a section for the American victims, which the State Department this month estimated at 33, they laid a wreath and observed a few moments of silence.

Both ex-presidents praised the outpouring of donations from the American public.

"We can now go home and say, 'you can trust that this money will be well spent'," Clinton said, adding that as many as one third of American households had already contributed to tsunami relief.

Clinton and Bush regularly appear in television advertisements requesting donations for the hundreds of thousands made homeless by the tsunamis.

The White House has placed Bush in charge of efforts to raise private US aid.

Clinton also has been named the United Nations' special envoy for tsunami relief.

President George W. Bush has pledged 950 million dollars in US aid to tsunami-hit nations.http://sg.yimg.com/xp/afp/20050220/3352318867.jpg

Phuket moved 32cm after tsunami


The Nation
Publication Date : 2005-02-23

Phuket shifted 32 centimetres to the south-west and Bangkok moved nine centimetres as a result of the Sumatra earthquake that caused the devastating tsunami two months ago, a Chulalongkorn University lecturer said.

Dr Itthi Trisirisattayawong, head of the Faculty of Engineering’s Survey Engineering Department, said the positions of Phuket and Bangkok were measured and compared with data recorded in October.

He said the measurements were carried out using GPS (global positioning system) receivers installed at Phuket’s Promthep Cape and at the Faculty of Engineering.

The land position measurements were carried out as part of the Southeast Asia Mastering Environment Research with Geodetic and Space Techniques (Seamerges) project with the cooperation of Asean and the EU. The project began on January 19 last year.

The study was initially carried out only at two locations after the earthquake. Data will soon be taken at six other locations in Uttaradit, Uthai Thani, Si Sa Ket and Chumphon to get a better picture of the effects of the quake on land positions, he said.

The movement of land would have no effect on the general population, but it would have technical repercussions on certain agencies, such as the Royal Military Survey Department, he said.

The survey team took three weeks to measure the two locations as it required the use of high-precision GPS receivers and the data had to be analysed by software from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Nasa, in the United States.

He said his department would work with the Mineral Resources Department to set up five more GPS measurement stations, requiring a budget of Bt12 million.

I guess the text books and almanacs need to update their maps now :D
Was the quake felt in Phuket and Bangkok? (I still don't know)

In Bangkok it was felt stongly in the higher buildings. The two persons I talked to since who had been on gound level hadn't felt it, but one of them was asleep at the time and the other one worked near a busy intersection (which can shake quite a bit by itself)

I think it was easily felt in Phuket.. according to some news report.

Beauty contest to help improve Thailand's image after tsunami

(Bangkok Post, Thailand)
By Nondhanada Intarakomalyasut, Bangkok Post, Thailand
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Mar. 4--Thailand hopes the staging of the Miss Universe 2005 pageant in Bangkok will present the country as a safe, peaceful and beautiful destination, replacing the tarnished image caused by the tsunami disaster.

Deputy prime minister Suwat Liptapallop said the world-class event would help promote Thailand to more than 1,170 million viewers in 170 countries across the world.

For the entire month of May, the world will see Thailand in a positive light, a far cry from its exposure following the tsunami, which struck six southern provinces last December.

Through the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the government has invested US$6.5 million (248 million baht) to be the major sponsor of the DTC Group, which was set up to be the local organiser of the event.

Mr Suwat said the investment was worthwhile in that it would usually cost around three billion baht to reach such a vast audience through international media and broadcasting.

He said the 88 contestants from around the world would eventually become ambassadors for Thailand by promoting the country as a tourist destination.

In addition, an 8-12 minute documentary promoting Thailand will be shown during the airing of the pageant.

The documentary alone would usually cost US$5.4 million as it is going to be viewed by a huge audience, said Sonthaya Khunpluem, Tourism and Sports minister.

DTC Group is a joint venture involving three companies: Bangkok Broadcasting & TV, the operator of television Channel 7; BBTV Productions Co and Matching Studio Plc.

The group will organise the event, handle logistics, oversee the contestants, hold various activities and seek advertisements to cover the cost of the event, which is estimated be around 650 million baht.

Somchai Cheewasuthanon, chief executive officer of Matching Studio said the group was in discussions with five companies about becoming the event's main sponsor.

DTC is offering three sponsorship packages: Platinum which costs 150 million baht, Gold 80 million baht and Silver at 40-50 million baht.

Purchasers of the Platinum package will have title sponsorship rights for eight to 10 events during the pageant and will be able to advertise during the parade of the contestants in Bangkok and at the post-party celebration.

Mr Sonthaya said the event was expected to bring a total of 63,500 foreign visitors to the country, generating about two billion baht in revenue.

Paula Shugart, president of Miss Universe Inc, a joint venture between tycoon Donald Trump and the NBC network, said Thailand was chosen for the event because of the country's readiness in terms of venues and technical knowhow.

Prince Andrew to visit Thailand
25/03/2005 09:41 - (SA)

Bangkok - Prince Andrew, the son of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, will make a private visit to Thailand's tsunami-hit areas in late April, the Thai foreign ministry said Friday.

Andrew, who is fourth in line to the British throne, will arrive in the kingdom on April 23 for a three-day trip.

He is expected to visit the Thai Tsunami Victims Identification unit at Mai Khao cemetery on the southern resort island of Phuket, foreign ministry officials said.

Britain's Foreign Office says 78 Britons died in Thailand when the tsunami hit on December 26, and that 74 are "highly likely" to have died around the Indian Ocean.

A total of 5 395 people are confirmed dead in Thailand's tsunami disaster, roughly half of them believed to be foreign holidaymakers.

Andrew is also scheduled to make a courtesy call on Thai Princess Ubolratana, the oldest daughter of Thailand's king and queen, whose son died in the tsunami.

Thai PM praises tsunami warning system after Indonesia quake

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Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra praised a new tsunami warning system that was successfully triggered following the powerful undersea earthquake that struck Indonesia overnight.

"Although our warning system is not yet complete, we managed to alert people in enough time for them to seek safety," Thaksin said.

"Even 20 minutes meant a lot for them, and now people can feel safer because they know government agencies are monitoring the situation," Thaksin told reporters.

He said the 8.7-scale quake that left several thousand people feared dead on an island off northwest Indonesia was felt by people in southern Thailand, but had not caused any damage.

Meanwhile Thailand's meteorology department said the alert was an "effective rehearsal" for warning people should the waves strike again.

The alert went out about 35 minutes after agencies here received news of the quake from overseas, said the department's acting chief, Chalemchai Eg-karntrong.

"We can consider last night an effective rehearsal," Chalemchai told reporters.

"It's better than last time, in terms of giving people information even though we had not tested the new warning system, which is not yet complete," he added.

"This gives me confidence, because we were able to issue an alert about one hour before the tsunami would have struck" if the quake had triggered the giant waves, he said.

Chalemchai said the warning system should be complete by the end of April, and said warning towers would eventually be built along Thailand's beaches.

The government's early warning system will eventually include a system to send alerts by text messages over mobile phones, in addition to radio and television broadcasts, Thaksin said.

Thailand urges evacuation after tsunami warning

http://images.wn.com/i/fc/9dbbf526849b8c.jpghttp://images.wn.com/i/9e/650537de6b2580.jpg

Coastal residents in southern Thailand were urged to evacuate as authorities issued a tsunami warning after a powerful quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

"The earthquake is strong enough to issue the warning for people to evacuate as a prevention, particularly in the area affected by the tsunami last time," Chalermchai Akekantrong, deputy director general of the meteorological department, told Thai television.

People at the famous Patong beach on the tourist island of Phuket were already headed toward higher ground, television reports said.

The warning came around one hour after a powerful quake measuring up to 8.2 on the Richter scale hit off the coast of the Indonesia island of Sumatra.

"The earthquake's epicentre was close to the epicentre of the last one. It is possible that the tsunami might happen, so the warning has been issued for six provinces in the south to be careful of the possibility of a tsunami," Kraisorn Pornsutee, permanent secretary for Thailand's ministry of information and communication technology (ICT), told Thai television.

A powerful earthquake on December 26 off the coast of Sumatra caused the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 5,395 people, roughly half of them believed to be foreign holidaymakers, in Thailand.

The unprecedented warning was issued for the provinces of Krabi, Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun and Trang, the officials said.

"Provinces must coordinate with each other and send authorities to high-risk areas, because the televised warning may not be enough to alert residents due to the late hour," ICT minister Suwit Khunkitti told Thai television.

"If people see the water level drop quickly, they should head to higher ground as soon as possible," former meteorology department director general Samit Thamasaroj told Thai television.

- AFP

Tsunami false alarm threatens to delay Thai tourism recovery

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The latest deadly quake to rock Southeast Asia may not have unleashed a killer tsunami but has rattled nerves in Thailand, just as the kingdom was pronouncing its shores safe for visitors.

Thailand recently kicked off a major promotional campaign to draw back the millions of tourists it has come to count on, but who had largely disappeared after the December 26 Indian Ocean catastrophe.

But Monday's Indonesian quake -- which left hundreds dead just three months after the tsunami disaster killed 5,395 people in Thailand, half of them foreign holidaymakers -- has again shaken visitors.

It triggered an emergency response that sent tourists along the Andaman coast scrambling out of their beachfront hotels and up to higher ground.

And while some say the emergency drill should reassure visitors that the country's beaches are now safe, others argue it will dent tourists' confidence.

Pattanapong Aikwanich, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said the latest warning, despite the tsunami no-show, "will have an effect" on tourism, especially Thai travelers whom he described as more prone to worry.

International visitors, he said, "have made very few cancellations," yet he did concede concern about the long-term psychological effect that Monday's huge earthquake and tsunami warning could have on tourists and the industry.

"I do worry about it," he told AFP. "Most of them may wait until they feel more comfortable, but a lot of people still keep coming."

Most tourists interviewed on Phuket's beaches said they thought the warning renewed fears about natural disasters and could dampen Thailand's efforts to recover its battered tourist industry, which is Southeast Asia's largest with 10 million visitors last year.

"People have very short memories and people are already coming back here," Englishman Graham Ness said. "But still, for people back home there is a big question mark hanging over this whole region right now."

Brazilian Marcia Smith, who flew into Phuket hours before the latest quake, said she thought "things will definitely slow down for a while."

Despite the broad agreement by seismologists that tsunamis of the magnitude of the December waves were extremely rare and that a repeat so soon afterwards was improbable, Smith said tourists from around Asia and Europe were spooked by the latest quake.

On Tuesday Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra highlighted the silver lining by praising the country's fledgling warning system, which is due to be up and running in Phuket in April and other provinces later in the year.

"Although our warning system is not yet complete, we managed to alert people in enough time for them to seek safety," the premier said. "Now people can feel safer because they know government agencies are monitoring the situation." The meteorology department said the alert was an "effective rehearsal" for warning people should the waves strike again.

Thai meteorologists came under fire from foreign governments for failing to alert anyone of the December 26 undersea quake and the pending tsunami threat despite recording the temblor.

Canadian Henry Van Melsen of Calgary wasn't deterred by the latest warning but said its impact could be substantial.

"It's obviously going to be negative publicity for Thailand" and its efforts to win back tourists, he said.

Thailand's national tourism officials disagree. They believe Monday's events instead proved Thailand's capacity to handle the tsunami threat and thereby has built confidence among travelers.

In a statement released after Monday's quake, Tourism Authority of Thailand chief Juthamas Siriwan assured that the country was "well prepared in all aspects, as the royal Thai government has implemented the necessary measures for visitors to our kingdom to have a safe and secure holiday."

TAT offices overseas reported no cancellations of trips to Thailand, an official said.

The warning didn't stop a large Singaporean cruise ship packed with 2,200 tourists from sailing into Phuket's Patong bay for an overnight stay the day after the quake.

TAT coins a new slogan for Thais

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Celebrities agree nothing beats destinations inside the country when it comes to taking a vacation

JARUNEE TAEMSAMRAN

Tiew Thee Nai Mai Suk Jai Thao Baan Rao is the new slogan the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has coined to encourage Thais to travel within the country. Translated into English it reads: travelling no where is as joyous as travelling in our own country, or thereabouts.

It settled on the slogan after collating the input from 40 celebrities, high-profile personalities, national decision-makers chosen from a diverse field _ politics, business, entertainment, sports and travel-writing. Even the prime minister was not spared.

They were asked to name their favourite holiday destination.

Dr Thaksin Shinawatra picked Hua Hin beach where he frequently takes his family, Khunying Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, the forensic expert, chose Ko Racha in Phuket, but how about Thailand's all-time superstar Byrd _ Thongchai McIntyre?

His preferred destination is more downright and simple, and nearer to Bangkok: Plai Phongphang, a village in Amphawa district of Samut Songkram province. Why there? He likes fireflies and the quiet of countryside that is traversed by canals. Fireflies, if you are not already aware, are a major tourist draw in this village, a short drive from Bangkok.

If you want to see the full list of celebrities and their favourite holiday haunts, find that out on TAT website at www.traveleradvisor.net.

TAT believes that these celebrities and famous personalities could just produce the desired result and encourage others to follow suit.

I'm not sure how well this marketing gimmick is going to work, and though I am not crazy about superstars and their holidaying preferences, I must concede that knowing where my favourite star loves to go does raise my curiosity about that place.

The catch is to find out what attracts them; then you might get drawn there too.

After all, TAT may have hit the right chord with its new slogan.

THAI seeks to boost image

Thais are not only crazy about celebrities, they also crazy about brandnames.

To some people, brandname products are a guarantee of high quality and to have them means they are people with good taste and helps them feel elevated on the social ladder.

Thai Airways International's (THAI) recent upgrading of inflight service can be seen in the same light. The airline is probably trying to regain its name as a leading world-class carrier by offering premium products to Royal First Class and Royal Executive Class (business class) passengers.

- Elle and Guy Laroche comfort wear in the form of long robes, nightwear and woollen PJs wrapped in quality cloth bag with blindfolds and slippers are offered to passengers.

- Toilet kits (including body lotion, eau de toilette and cologne) come from Hermes for Royal First Class passengers and L'Occitane for Royal Executive Class passengers.

- Starting next month it will be providing Hermes and Bvlgari travel kits to passengers flying first class, while those travelling business class will be offered Biotherm and Dupont brands.

Those famous brandnames are obviously meant to consolidate the airline's image among international travellers.

And since THAI is a national carrier, it is also supposed to promote products made in Thailand. As such it has selected locally produced slippers made from 100 per cent cotton for Royal Executive Class passengers flying on Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Seoul and London routes.

Like-wise, mangosteen-scented soap, which is extremely popular among Japanese travellers, will be offered to first and business class passengers on the Bangkok-Tokyo route. The soap is part of the government-initiated OTOP (one tambon, one product) campaign to promote the growth of cottage industries that rely on indigenously developed skills and know-how.

Other quality items will be added in due course.

Well, at the moment THAI has nothing special to offer economy-class passengers. Hopefully, in the future, it will.

Wooing visitors to PhuketHere's another attempt to bring tourists back to Phuket.

The Tourism Council of Thailand and Bangkok Airways are launching a joint campaign to attract state officials and the private sector to hold meetings and seminars in the resort province.

Appropriately dubbed "When Thinking of Meetings, Think of Phuket", the campaign will be launched today and run until October 31, except during the month of August. It aims to attract some 20,000 people and generate a revenue of 2.25 billion baht for the island province.

Several hotels and resorts have come together under the campaign by offering special rates for groups of at least 20 people, while Bangkok Airways is offering free air tickets to state officials travelling to Phuket for meetings and seminars. For corporate clients, round-trip airfares are set at 1,000 baht, excluding tax and a fee of about 300 baht.

To qualify for the promotional rates you must first register with the Tourism Council of Thailand by filling a form. You pay for the airfare and accommodation at the council and then book the hotel of your choice.

The council (tel: 02-250-5500) is located on New Petchaburi Road.

Bangkok Airways can be reached by calling 02-265-5555 during office hours.

Staying wired onboardSingapore Airlines is offering passengers a chance to stay truly connected even when flying at 35,000ft.

The airline has taken the concept of wired society to the stratosphere.

Since March 7, passengers flying Singapore's national carrier can work, play, surf, chat online or watch live TV coverage onboard.

According to Travel Newsgram, it's the first airline in the Southeast Asian region to introduce Connexion, a technology pioneered by Boeing. It is an inflight broadband service that provides passengers with real-time, secure high-speed Internet connectivity.

With this service, passengers with a wireless-enabled laptop can send and receive e-mails, connect real-time with their offices as if they were on the ground.

S'pore extends smoking banThis may sound like taking things too far.

In its ever expanding campaign to clamp down on smoking in public places, Singapore recently introduced even tougher restrictions and extended the ban to pubs, nightclubs karaoke lounges and bus shelters.

Travel Newsgram reports that the government in the island nation is planning to extend the curbs further to cover clubs, public swimming pools, bus stations and public toilets in due course.

They are likely to go into effect some time later this year. So people travelling to Singapore can look forward to a blanket ban on smoking in public places in not too distant future.

If you have any news, views, opinion, complaints or some warning that you'd like to share with others, write to us at traveltalk@bangkokpost.co.th or send your fax to 02-6719818

Prince Andrew is to visit Thailand and meet people who helped Britons in the aftermath of the 26 December tsunami, Buckingham Palace has said.

During a two-day stay, he will visit Phuket and Bangkok, areas where many of the British victims had been staying.

The prince is expected to meet Foreign Office staff and British police who have helped in identifying victims.

The tsunami is estimated to have killed over 220,000 people, with 109 Britons confirmed dead and 49 still missing.

The prince is also set to see rebuilding work on the holiday island of Phuket and is expected to thank Thai police and workers for their efforts.

His brother Prince Charles stopped off in tsunami-hit eastern Sri Lanka on his way to Australia in February.

The Prince of Wales met aid workers and locals in the Batticaloa district, where one in 10 inhabitants died in the disaster.

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Thailand holds ceremony for tsunami, unrest victims


BANGKOK –– Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sunday attended a Buddhist merit-making ceremony in Bangkok in memory of those killed by insurgent violence and in the December tsunami.

Thaksin, along with his daughter and cabinet members, offered prayers at the Emerald Buddha temple on the grounds of the Grand Palace.

Thaksin's arrival capped a day-long ceremony, which started early on Sunday with an offering of alms.

Hundreds of monks and some 1,000 other faithful attended the chanting ceremony, which Buddhists believe will help the spirits of the dead in their next lives.

"Thailand has faced several crises with bird flu, SARS, the tsunami, a drought and violence in the south," Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam told reporters.

"People need encouragement, and that is why we are doing merit-making," he added.

More than 640 people have been killed since a separatist insurgency broke out in January 2004 in three provinces near the Malaysian border.

And 5,395 people, half of them foreigner holiday-makers, died when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit Thailand's Andaman coast on December 26.

Bird flu has killed 12 people in the kingdom over the past 14 months and decimated its poultry industry. –– AFP

TSUNAMI AFTERMATH: Disaster spurs rethink at Red Cross
Published on April 15, 2005

Rapid deployment in event of catastrophe now a priority for agency at coalfront

The destruction of life and property in the December 26 tsunami has prompted the Thai Red Cross Society to review its preparations for future disasters.

“We need better know-how in disaster management,” said Phan Wannamethee, secretary-general of the humanitarian society.

Thailand had never been at the mercy of such a major disaster, he said, and the agency’s previous emergency experience was limited to floods, fires, typhoons, cold spells and drought.

“Now we need to build up a system of rapid deployment so that we can mobilise doctors and nurses in two hours,” he said. “We are receiving technical know-how and support from Finland, which has extensive experience [in disasters].”

Phan’s long and distinguished diplomatic career has included stints as Thai ambassador to Germany and Britain. At 82, he is as busy as ever.

The Thai Red Cross handled many of the donations that flooded in for tsunami victims from overseas and local sources.

The society responded to the disaster with a three-phase action plan. The first was the rescue effort, which is now over.

It is currently engaged in the second phase, which is rehabilitation. Largely focused on helping victims become self-sufficient again, this phase is estimated to take six months.

The third phase will concentrate on the reconstruction of villages and communities. The Thai Red Cross is doing some projects on its own, while some projects are being implemented with the Chai Pattana Foundation, under the patronage of His Majesty the King.

In the South, the agency has a warehouse centre in Thung Song district, Surat Thani. When the disaster struck, basic food and medicine were immediately shipped to areas hit by the tsunami from this warehouse.

Distribution was handled by Red Cross representatives, who are located in all provinces usually with each governor’s wife as the head.

About 100 doctors and nurses were dispatched to the six affected southern provinces. They provided both frontline and back-up support to local medical teams.

“We mobilised that Monday [December 27]. Our executive vice-president, HRH Princess Sirindhorn, took charge. She came every day for the first week,” Phan said.

Public support was overwhelming, from firms that provided medical equipment to individuals who came to donate money and goods. Blood donors topped 3,000 a day, up from the usual 400.

“We had to turn them away.”

Up to 300 foreigners also came forward to donate “RH” type blood, which was in short supply. The emergency rescue operation was completed in the first two weeks.

The Thai Red Cross is now in the rehabilitation phase, which is divided into five areas.

The agency will help fishermen get new boats so that they can resume working. It will cooperate with the Chai Pattana Foundation to develop fibreglass boats, which are cheaper to finance. It will also provide welfare support for orphans, either through direct subsidies or education scholarship.

Support will be provided for parents, mostly those from the Northeast whose offspring went to southern coastal areas for work and perished in the tsunami.

“We are surveying requirements all the time. We also want to extend help to affected Burmese workers through the United Nations,” Phan said.

Among the long-term reconstruction projects being developed with the Chai Pattana Foundation is the financing of 280 rai to build 150 houses for affected families in Phang Nga. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand is also helping with a project to replant more than 2,000 rai of mangrove forests in Andaman coastal areas.

“We have received a lot of donations, including Chevrolet vehicles and Siemens electrical appliances,” Phan said.

“Money has come via the International Federation of the Red Cross, or bilaterally from Red Cross chapters in such places as Saudi Arabia and Turkey.”

Subhatra Bhumipraphas, Pana Janviroj

The Nation

Tsunami aftermath

Published on Jun 25 , 2005

TOMORROW WILL BE THE 6-MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TSUNAMI TRAGEDY.

N-G-O'S ARE MAKING A PLEA FOR STATE HELP ON BEHALF OF THOUSANDS OF THOSE STILL LIVING IN DISTRESS.

THE THAI VOLUNTEER SERVICE FOUNDATION AND PRIVATE AGENCIES

HELPING WITH THE REVIVAL OF THE TSUNAMI-HIT SOUTH... HAVE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO POOR LOCALS.

THEY CLAIM THE GOVERNMENT'S REFUSAL TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL MONEY HAS MADE THEIR LIVES MORE DIFFICULT. MANY HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED ANY STATE BUDGETS.

THEY CLAIM ALSO THERE ARE DOUBLE STANDARDS PRACTICED IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF THOUSANDS OF TSUNAMI SURVIVORS STILL HAVE NO ACCESS TO STATE HELP.

PHI PHI ISLAND ALONE HAS NEARLY 5,000 CHILDREN LEFT IN DISTRESS. MORE THAN 200,000 ALIEN WORKERS ARE ALSO TREATED UNFAIRLY. THEY SAY NEW TOWN PLANNING ... PERMANENT AND SAFE HOUSES ARE ALSO IN GREAT NEED. LAND ENCROACHMENT BY INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IS ANOTHER CONCERN.

THEY RECOMMEND THAT THE GOVERNMENT ADOPT MORE SYSTEMATIC SOLUTIONS AND URGENTLY CARRY OUT THEIR UNFULFILLED PROJECTS.. SUCH AS THE LOAN SCHEME FOR THE JOBLESS.

SIX MONTHS AFTER : Amid despair, there’s HOPE

Published on June 26, 2005

A ray of light finally seems to be shining on many of December’s tsunami survivors. Materially, their basic demands have been met to a certain extent. But all of the pieces are yet to fall into place, and the bigger question now is whether their lives

will return to normal.

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TSUNAMI AFTERMATH : Victims slowly rebuild their lives

People look to a future beyond simply staying alive

Six months after December’s devastating tsunami, a ray of hope finally seems to be shining on the faces of many of the victims.

While most of the residents of the six affected southern provinces have already received basic material assistance, many are still at a loss for words when asked what the future holds.

Thousands of people are still living patiently at temporary shelters in Phang Nga and Phuket provinces, the worst-hit areas, surviving on donated food and other necessities.

“Materially, all of their basic demands have been met to a certain extent. The bigger question is how will they live their lives from now on,” a local official told The Nation.

At Ban Nam Khem, a village where most of the houses and half of the population were swept away in the huge waves, rows of “modern townhouses” are being built to replace the old traditional-style homes.

Somphit Nualkung, a mother of three who survived the tsunami, said she expects to move into her new home, built with donated money, by August.

“It’s my only hope now. The first month following the disaster was the worst. We virtually couldn’t do anything. It was terribly hard even to swallow our food,” said Somphit, who lost her 17-year-old daughter and 11 other relatives in the tsunami.

“My eldest son is struggling to earn money riding a motorcycle taxi in the village. I plan to open a small grocery shop here with the government’s compensation money,” she said.

The Morgan sea gypsies, in contrast, were less affected by the tsunami due to their traditional knowledge. The villagers of Ban Thungwa also got the chance to rebuild the homes of 70 families in the original style suitable for their fishing lifestyle.

“We spent the past six months rebuilding homes using money from a non-governmental group. We also hired shipbuilders to make 18 new fishing boats,” said Yong Klathale, 45, a member of the Morgan group.

Samut Klathale, a neighbour, said another 14 houses and at least five more boats are needed, but there is not enough money left.

“We will go back to our fishing fleet after our homes and boats are constructed. We make a living from fishing six months of the year and the rest of the time we work as labourers,” Yong said.

But other local fishermen have not fared as well as the Morgans.

One villager of Ban Nam Khem who asked not to be named said the size and quality of the new houses pose problems.

Many families have to cram five people into a small room and the quality and methods are questionable because they were built by the military in a hurry.

“Only a week after completion, the paint has peeled off and there are cracks in some of the walls. The structure is also weak, because they were in a hurry to build 400 units in just a few months. The deadline is next month, the villager said.

These units are free of charge so most locals do not dare to complain, other villagers said.

People who did not own their own land prior to the disaster have fared even worse because they have little prospect of permanent shelter.

The government is trying to rebuild the homes of those who have land, but NGOs are considering setting up a victim community fund to provide loans with no interest to people with no land.

The villagers will be encouraged to work together to produce building materials that can be used to build their homes. “I’m trying to bring in my neighbours so that they have some hope about their future. It’s like turning the crisis into an opportunity. We’re drawing a plan for our village,” said Maitree Jongkraijak, 32, a local village leader at the Bang Muang temporary shelter.

The village has also set up its own bank to manage donations and other financial matters.

“We’re trying not only to rebuild our houses, but also the outlook for our way of life, our source of income,” he said.

Outside the worst-hit areas of Khao Lak, Phi Phi, Patong and Kamala, the victims are mostly fishermen. They have been given money, but the amount is not enough for them to restart their fishing careers yet, a local activist said.

They will join a meeting in Phang Nga’s Takuapa district to discuss their problems and other tsunami-related land rights issues.

They hope to submit a proposal to the government next week.

Even for people who were less affected by the disaster, such as small local businesses, the past

six months has been a big challenge.

One restaurant owner in Khao Lak, for instance, said that while the victims are surviving on donated food and money, her business is supported by hundreds of volunteers who have come to the area.

Bigger businesses such as resort and hotel operators have also fallen on hard times although some have started rebuilding their properties in the hope of returning to normal business.

But there is already a shortage of workers, said a local contractor, given the magnitude of reconstruction work and the demand for labour.

Kamol Sukin

The Nation

Tsunami casts its long shadows on anniversary plans

DON ROSS

Opposing opinions are emerging on how the Andaman coast resorts should remember the tsunami victims on December 26. Just last week the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor, Juthamas Siriwan, told a press conference at the opening of the Thailand Travel Mart: "We are planning some events, but not much as it is not in our plans to emphasise the sad events in the South."

Her view appears to be shared by other tourism officials as well as the Phuket governor who was reported to have said it was time for the province to move on.

That sentiment has its merits as full recovery usually involves closing the book on grieving, while replacing the sadness with a sense of hope in the future.

However, private sector travel executives view it quite differently. Many of them voice the opinion that today's electronic media, particularly BBC and CNN, are not going to let December 26 go by without making a reference to the tsunami, using the news clips from their libraries.

Asian Trails managing director, Luzi Matzig, in response to a request for feedback on recovery prospects penned a report to hoteliers stating recovery would require a multi-religious "passage of rites" ceremony at sites on the Andaman coast December 26 mainly to "appease the spirits and underscore the message to Asian travellers that they can return to these resorts."

In an open letter to the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, marketing consultant and managing director of The Winning Edge, Bert van Walbeek, made an appeal for TAT executives to "get it right" on the subject of remembering the December 26 tsunami.

He wrote: "I understand that it is not in your plans to emphasise the sad events in the South It is BBC and CNN that will emphasise it."

With a 20-year background in Thai and regional tourism marketing, Mr van Walbeek called for "total leadership", a twist on the TAT's governor's frequent references to "Total Tourism". But instead of suggesting the TAT should be out there promoting the totality of inbound, domestic and even outbound tourism, the plea this time was for the TAT to lead the public, private and academic sectors to remember December 26.

Mr van Walbeek said it should be accomplished "in commemorative efforts on a scale that matches recovery responses to similar dramatic occasions such as the Aida performance after the Luxor, Egypt, massacre, the impressively arranged funeral of Lady Diana or the solemn September 11 memorials that are held annually in New York City."

"What we need is a plan for a worldwide televised first anniversary ceremony that will remain in the memory of the world and, therefore, our present and future tourists," he wrote.

Travel executives are focusing on two elements. One is a multi-religious ceremony described as a "passage of rites". They point out that despite statements that enough religious ceremonies have taken place, there are still 2,000 bodies stored on the island awaiting identification and religious rites.

They claim that the tourism industry, government and particularly the Tourism Authority of Thailand miscalculated the time it would take to kick-start recovery in the southern provinces. Cash was thrown into promotions but the response was far from promising, specifically from Asian markets.

During the Thailand Travel Mart, last week, hoteliers from Phuket complained that they were ignored by many of the international buyers who preferred to make appointments with hotels from resorts in the Gulf of Thailand.

The second option is described by Mr van Walbeek's communication. It goes beyond the need for a spiritual and sensitive remembrance ceremony on December 26.

In his letter to the TAT he suggests that government should invite Elton John to play "Candles in the Wind", Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to sing the "Ave Maria" and "of course also ask Asian top stars from China, India and Thailand to perform."

He notes that it would require the support of the entire airline industry including the powerful global airline alliances to pool resources and bring in the families of the tsunami victims. It would also require the hotel industry to provide lodging for the families.

Finally the country's top events organisers would have to be recruited to plan and execute "a multi-religious and multi-cultural commemoration that is newsworthy and TV-made."

As for the budget required for an event of this size, look no further than what was spent on the Miss Universe or more recently the investment in bringing in rich English premier league football clubs for demonstration games.

Mr van Walbeek's views are shared by other travel executives who attended the Thailand Travel Mart, last week. To a man they believe TAT has lost touch with the industry it was chartered to serve, possibly in the hot pursuit of other goals such as establishing Thailand as a film industry hub or a home for wealthy retirees. They would like to see TAT return to its core duties.

While not many of them would go as far as to write an open letter to the TAT governor, it would be a mistake to think that the travel industry is overjoyed with recovery efforts so far or that executives even dare to think that throwing discounts at the market will nurture succeed.

Six months after the tsunami struck there are now clear signs that the discounts and the vast sums spent on the Andaman Paradise campaign did not bring about recovery.

As Mr Matzig said in his report to hoteliers there are signs that "recovery will begin with the November winter season," but the reality is that what the southern resorts called the business norm will not return until October 2006.

Based on these forecasts the need for Thailand's tourism sector to unite under a "tourism leadership" is more critical than ever. Will it happen?

That will depend on whether the prime minister is ready to restructure the tourism ministry portfolio. Reports suggest tourism and sports will eventually split into separate ministries, while the TAT will be restructured with possibly the research and development moving into an entirely separate agency.

DISASTER ALERT: Temblor gives system first test

Published on July 06, 2005

Earthquake off Sumatra coast registers 6.7, but no reports of tsunami or damage

An earthquake off Sumatra yesterday gave Thailand’s month-old tsunami early-warning system its first real test.

The 6.7-magnitude quake occurred at 8.52am, about 120 kilometres west of Sumatra and at a depth of 30 kilometres, the United States Geological Survey announced. The epicentre was about 700 kilometres from Phuket.

There was no report of a tsunami anywhere in the region or of the quake being felt in Thailand.

The National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) in Nonthaburi gathered and analysed data from several seismic stations in the region before notifying local authorities at about 9.10am to be on alert. Television stations ran a flash-bar public announcement at 9.26am. The announcement said there would be “a very limited possibility” for a tsunami along southern Thailand’s Andaman seacoast.

At 10.35am, Plodprasop Suraswadi, vice minister for the Prime Minister’s Office and NDWC executive director, appeared on live television and radio broadcasts nationwide to call off the tsunami alert in the country’s southwest.

Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkuru said people in the tourist beach areas had not panicked and local officials had stood ready for any further warning from the NDWC. “No tsunami-warning towers along the beaches sent off alarms,” he added.

Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukbal said the local municipality had received a telephone call about the earthquake from the NDWC. No evacuation orders needed to be issued, however, because the earthquake fell well below the 7.5-magnitude threshold considered necessary to produce a tsunami, he said.

“If it is not 7.5 magnitude or greater, we don’t need to do anything,” he explained. “In the past there were frequent tremors in Phuket, but nobody really followed up on them. But since the tsunami, the government has ordered its agencies to get any information about unusual seismic activity out to local authorities. That’s why we were informed.”

Trang Governor Narait Jitsujaritwong said he had been informed at about 10am and passed on the warning to district officers. He told them to prepare for evacuation. However, half an hour later they were told to call off the alarm. He said locals had not panicked because they had just had a drill on Monday. In addition, they were warned well ahead of the expected arrival of a possible tsunami at around 11.45am.

Trang was expected to receive 10 tsunami-warning towers from the government soon, Narait added.

Ranong Governor Winai Mongkonthan said provincial officials had used several channels to reach people, especially mobile phones, which also enabled them to contact people staying outdoors or in remote areas. The provincial officers had collected phone numbers of local leaders and heads of institutions in the province, he said.

Winai said Trang residents were well prepared – some of them had even packed necessary belongings just in case. The Ranong and Trang governors said mobile-phone networks were mandatory and had to be adequately available at all times.

The Nation, Phuket Gazette

Posted on Sun, Jul. 10, 2005

Tsunami impact on southern Thailand

• A series of three waves hit southern Thailand between 9:30 and 10 a.m. Dec. 26. The first two were small, preludes to the water wall that sometimes measured 30 feet and slammed beaches, hotels, schools, shops and cafes.

• Victims totaled 5,395, among them 1,975 Thais, 2,245 foreigners, 1,175 unidentified, according to the Tourist Authority of Thailand's New York office.

• In the three affected regions -- Phuket, Phang Nga (home to Khao Lak) and Krabi, 8,925 hotel rooms were lost -- about 18 percent of the region's total.

• While some areas were slammed, others escaped with minimal damage, thanks to topography and the angle of the wave.

• A tsunami warning system has been installed at Patong Beach, Phuket's "party central." Hoteliers say they have beefed up employee training for emergencies.

Visiting southern Thailand

Many hotels in tsunami-affected areas are offering unusual discounts to encourage tourists, generally 30 percent to 50 percent off regular rates. Among them:

• The ultra-luxury Amanpuri on Phuket has offered its first discount of 50 percent through Oct. 31, with suites starting at $337.50 per night. www.amanresorts.com.

• The upscale Holiday Inn on Patong Beach is offering a rate of $70 per night. One wing of the hotel opened in April; the oceanfront wing is still under construction and isn't visible from open rooms. www.holiday-inn.com.

• The chic Sheraton Krabi Resort, undamaged by the wave, is offering bed and breakfast for about $75 per night. www.sheraton.com.

Information: Tourist Authority of Thailand, www.tourismthailand.org. At www.sawadee.com, click on "hotels," then "tsunami report" for details to April 7.

TSUNAMI FRIGHT: Anxious tour agencies fear mass cancellations

Published on July 26, 2005

Businesses count cost of Sunday’s scare as visitors consider options

Some Korean tourists have cancelled their bookings for the upcoming high season, following Sunday night’s tsunami warning in the South.

Pornsiri Manoharn, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand overseeing international markets, said according to data by the TAT office in Korea, only one out of 100 tourists had cancelled their bookings because of the widely reported alarm, which was sounded after an earthquake in the Indian Ocean.

“In the meantime, though, our office in Singapore has confirmed that a group of 380 Singaporeans who are in Phuket for a meeting has decided to stay,” she said.

It is not certain yet how many tourists might be considering packing up and leaving for destinations considered safer. Yet Sunday’s tsunami scare and the possibility that tourists may flee or cancel bookings has frazzled the nerves of tourism-industry professionals along the Andaman Coast.

Once the tsunami warning had officially been called off, many guests booked out of their rooms in hotels along Patong Beach in Phuket and moved to hotels on higher ground, said a local tourism expert.

Anek Srichevachart, president of the Thai-Japanese Tourists Association, fears mass cancellations by foreign tourists with bookings for hotels in Phuket and nearby provinces like Krabi and Phang Nga.

“To people planning trips to Phuket and other Andaman destinations, news of the new tsunami warning may well mean that Thailand is a country still prone to deadly waves,” Anek said. “If so, this would certainly damage the local tourism industry and the negative impacts could be felt until the end of the year or even the end of the high season next March.”

Many other tourists may in turn decide to swap planned stays in the South for other destinations in Thailand. Japanese and Korean tourists are especially sensitive to the threat of tsunamis, Anek said. Tourists from farther afield such as Europe and the United Sates may also be reconsidering their bookings, he went on.

Anek said the next three to five days would reveal just how many foreign tourists had decided to stay clear of potential danger along Thailand’s Andaman seacoast. He suggested that to offset losses in tourism revenues, the government initiate stepped-up promotion campaigns for alternative destinations such as Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Koh Chang, and Pattaya.

The latest tsunami scare came at an inopportune time for the tourism industry – amid growing concerns the country will fail to attract the 13.4 million foreign tourists it has targeted. Although the government has already decided to pour an extra Bt2.5 billion into promoting the country, the number of tourists in the first half of 2005 was well below expectations at 5.8 million visitors.

Some industry experts, however, remain cautiously hopeful that the latest tsunami scare came and went without much of an impact.

Krisada Tunsakul, president of the Patong Hotel Operators Association, said many foreign tourists staying at hotels along Patong Beach, which was among the worst hit spots during the Boxing Day tsunami last year, had decided to stay. Some have either returned to their rooms or else moved to hotels located at safe distances from the sea, he explained.

The average hotel occupancy rate before the warning on Sunday was at around 50 per cent, Krisada said. Yet he added that occupancy rate could now drop significantly if more and more tourists decided it was safer not to risk the threat, however small, of another tsunami.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation

Special warning buoys on the shopping list

Thailand requires special buoys in the Andaman Sea able to send tsunami warnings to shore, and also needs to enhance its evacuation readiness as flaws in it were highlighted on Sunday.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the country's existing warning system equipment was only able to detect seismic activities. The special buoys, which measure ocean pressure, were needed to let the authorities know whether or not a tsunami had been triggered by a quake.

It was clear that not every large earthquake was necessarily followed by a tsunami. However, authorities had to issue a tsunami warning whenever a large quake struck.

``Theoretically, a tsunami can occur when an earthquake measuring seven on the Richter scale strikes, so for the sake of safety, we will issue a warning. But if the warnings happen too frequently and nothing happens, people will stop heeding the warnings,'' Mr Thaksin said.

He said the government was looking to select the most appropriate technology in the form of a special buoy, and that they would be deployed by July 2006.

Plodprasop Suraswadi, director of the National Disaster Warning Centre, echoed Mr Thaksin's remarks, adding the buoys would give people about 30 minutes in which to flee the coast.

Without the buoys, the public may only get about 10 minutes in which to make an escape, he said.

In response to the evacuation late on Sunday night, he stressed that the provincial authorities would have to improve their evacuation plans as people tried to flee in their vehicles.

If a tsunami had struck, he warned, many people could have drowned or died in their vehicles in packed streets. He also called for improved public relations regarding the safe way to evacuate.

Mr Plodprasop criticised Phangnga governor Anuwat Metheewibulwut, saying he had been reluctant to relay his order for an immediate evacuation.

``The governor said he would wait to see if it really happened. I must say, `please believe us'. The responsibility for speaking or thinking about what to do rests with others. Don't be sceptical because our centre acts in line with scientific principles, not judgement,'' Mr Plodprasop said.

``We must figure out how to save lives. We can't wait for something to happen first,'' he said.

Mr Plodprasop said that following the earthquake at 10.42pm on Sunday near the Nicobar islands, 664km west of Phuket, there were five ``unusual'' changes in the sea level, which he referred to as ``weak'' tsunamis. There were also three aftershocks following the main quake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale.

The aftershocks measured around five on the Richter scale.

He stressed people from now on would have to monitor reports of earthquakes carefully as there have been around 2,000 earthquakes of various magnitude since the one which struck on Dec 26 last year and triggered the tsunami.

Thai authorities satisfied with tsunami warning system after false alarm
25 July 2005

By Paris Lord

BANKGOK, July 25 (AFP) -- Thai authorities on Monday said they were pleased with their tsunami warning system, having hours earlier sounded an alarm following a major earthquake in the Nicobar islands in the Indian Ocean.

The warning was issued shortly before midnight, prompting police to help evacuate thousands of people to higher ground along the six provinces pounded by the December 26 tsunami. It was withdrawn about 90 minutes later at 1:20 am.

The National Disaster Warning Center triggered its alert shortly after the US Geological Survey said a "major" earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit the remote Indian island chain at 1542 GMT Sunday.

Thai authorities cut into local television programming to issue emergency broadcasts that said the earthquake was about 660 kilometres (412 miles) west of the resort island of Phuket, whose west coast was hard hit in December's disaster.

Some residents along Phuket's Patong beach said they heard loud sirens, part of the newly developed warning system, for about 30 seconds before deciding to flee, along with thousands of other residents and Western tourists.

Major General Jaruek Sriwarit, a member of the National Disaster Warning Center, said the center's officials were "satisfied" with the system, particularly the way television stations passed on the emergency information.

"We don't think it was an overreaction," Jaruek told AFP.

"We were happy that we issued the warning to people because if there was a tsunami, it would take less time (to reach the coast) than the December 26 tsunami because it was only 600 kilometers from Phuket."

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the warning system remained a work in progress but defended the country's decision to announce an alert, even as India and Sri Lanka, two countries hard hit in December's disaster, declined to issue tsunami warnings.

"A tsunami does not automatically happen, but if the earthquake is strong enough there is a possibility," Thaksin told reporters.

Yet the premier acknowledged that too many false alarms may cause people to ignore the real thing.

"We are concerned that (too many tsunami warnings after earthquakes) will make people not believe the next warning when it happens," he said.

Thailand will "speed up" its installation of tsunami-detection buoys in the Indian Ocean, a key link in the warning system, in order to better predict the giant waves, Thaksin said.

Jaruek said the overnight warning was a vital dress rehearsal.

"We can count this as a big trial because the first time we issued the warning, people panicked," he said. "This time, they were in control of themselves and knew what they should do."

Monday's false alarm was the second for tourist-magnet Thailand since the giant December 26 waves killed some 5,400 people in the kingdom, about half of them foreign holidaymakers.

The first, on March 29, sent thousands of tourists scrambling to higher ground after a massive undersea quake off the Indonesian coast.

Thailand on April 29 held the Indian Ocean's first tsunami warning drill at a special ceremony in Phuket to test out its loudspeakers and sirens.

It was based on a make-believe scenario of a 9.0-magnitude quake near the Nicobar islands triggering a 10-meter-high (33-foot) tsunami that would reach the Thai coast within 30 minutes.

Tsunami solidarity: Port Blair turns to Thai for new future
Monday July 25 2005 00:00 IST

NEW DELHI: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands can never forget the tsunami but it's time now for its inhabitants to build a new future. As a first step, the island administration has turned to Phuket in Thailand, one of the worlds' best known tourist destinations which was also hit by the tsunami, to promote tourism, trade and commerce.

The Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Phuket city on June 29, a pact which now makes them twin cities. A&N Lt Governor Ram Kapse led a high-level delegation to Phuket which included PBMC chairperson K Krishnan and A&N Finance Commissioner Chetan B Sanghi.

Confirming this, A&N Chief Secretary D S Negi told this website’s newspaper over phone from Port Blair that this agreement would go a long way in boosting tourism in the islands.

“Port Blair and Phuket have entered into this agreement under the twining cities concept. Phuket is just 450 km from us whereas Chennai and Kolkata are over 1,200 km away. The basic idea is to learn different things from each other on how to make the two islands better and facilitate healthy exchange of tourists.”

The local administration is asking the Centre to upgrade the Veer Savarkar Airport for international flights. “We are insisting on international flights to and from the mainland. For instance, Port Blair can easily be made a stopover for SE Asia-bound tourists and vice-versa. We will have a Phuket bonanza in Port Blair and they will earmark Port Blair days to boost tourism,” Negi said.

The agreement covers cooperation by both parties to foster relationship and promotion of tourism, education and culture, urban development, solid waste management, commerce and investments.

It envisages exchange of tourist missions for fairs, expositions, tourist festivals, promotion of tourist destinations for each sister city with the end objective of promoting international tourism between one another.

Cultural exchanges will include interaction between students, artists and professionals. On urban development, Port Blair and Phuket shall exchange expertise in innovative water harvesting techniques, upgradation of water treatment plants, study of old water supply network and rationalisation of water distribution network, desilting-relining of old sewers.

Both cities will undertake studies on modern and sustainable methods of solid waste management, especially in the areas of cleaning roads and public places, safe disposal through transportation, development of proper sanitary landfill sites, segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable solid waste and recycling.

Exchanges of commerce missions and participation in expositions, fairs, business meets and other promotions with increased flow of goods and services between the parties are also planned. For investments, the twin cities will exchange business missions and share information of investment possibilities and business opportunities.

A&N Finance Commissioner Chetan B Sanghvi, who was in the delegation which went to Phuket, is highly optimistic about the outcome of the MoU.

“This provides a unique platform to both cities to learn from each other and leverage that. The twining of Port Blair and Phuket will also go a long way in brightening prospects of tourism in the islands. Both these places have different USPs which can be jointly encashed upon.”

Tourism director Kuldeep Singh Gangar, who has been worrying over the 90 per cent drop in tourism in the isles, is also upbeat. “Plans were already afoot to link Port Blair and Phuket by chartered flights from January this year. But the tsnuami changed all that. With this agreement now, things will definitely start looking up.”

Besides marketing the island archipelago in Phuket, the Andaman and Nicobar administration also hosted a “familiarisation tour” of different tour operators. Star Cruises, which operates luxury liners elsewhere, is also exploring the possibility of introducing liners in the islands. A five-member delegation from Star Cruises has already met the Lt Governor and Chief Secretary in this regard.

Thailand's tsunami drill praised
Tuesday, July 26, 2005 Posted: 0324 GMT (1124 HKT)

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/07/25/tsunami.warning.reut/story.tsunami.jpg

BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuters) -- After several practice runs and one "live" alert, Thailand's tsunami warning system swung smoothly into action following Sunday's Andaman Sea quake, but coastal residents said the still ad hoc set-up needs fine tuning.

"I would give them about eight out of ten," said Frank Dreist, general manager of the 273-room Kata Beach Resort on Phuket, the tsunami-hit southern resort island where Thailand has worked hardest to build an effective alert network.

"The night manager was phoned by the authorities about 15 to 20 minutes after if happened and the police were very quick to get out with loudspeakers," he said.

"We immediately evacuated the ground floor, moving guests to higher floors or the roof."

The U.S. geological survey measured Sunday night's (1542 GMT) quake in India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands at 7.0 on the Richter scale, just below the 7.5 reading experts say is needed to generate a tsunami.

The Dec. 26 wave, which left 227,000 dead or missing around the Indian Ocean, was triggered by a 9.15 magnitude earthquake. Thailand, which has been promoting its early warning capabilities as a tourist confidence booster, still chose to issue an alert, interrupting programming on all television networks to tell those in southwestern coastal areas to evacuate.

On the island of Phi Phi, famed as the utopian backdrop to cult Leonardo di Caprio backpacker movie "The Beach", the message came through on TV, but a jammed mobile phone network meant it was difficult to pass on, residents said.

"The warnings were mostly in Thai, so didn't help tourists that much. But it definitely helped to have clarification if this was a real warning or just another earthquake," said Andrew Hewett, a British dive operator.

"Quite a lot of people went to higher ground and slept on the mountain, but those with experience of last time went only as high as needed. Some just slept on the roof," he said.

Sirens installed on the island's now-pristine beaches are due to be tested this week, which should make the mobile phone network problem less of an issue, he said.

Risk of crying wolf
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawtra said the warning system, which uses everything from television, radio and mobile phone text messages to sirens and policemen with megaphones, was set for 7.0 Richter quakes or bigger.

He acknowledged the risk of "crying wolf" too often, but said the greater margin of error was justified because monitoring networks were not perfect.

"If we ran too many times, the concern is that people might be less alert in the future when the real tsunami comes. People might treat them as more false alarms," Thaksin told reporters.

"But when we have inadequate equipment, there's no harm issuing an alert. It's better to err on the side of safety rather than make a wrong decision," he said.

Sunday's alert was the second since Dec. 26. in Thailand, where 5,395 people, including 1,953 foreigners, were killed. An 8.7 magnitude quake off the northern coast of Sumatra on March 29 triggered a coastal evacuation order but no tsunami.

"Last night was better than the one before. People panicked less and they knew what to do and where to go," said Suvit Othong, superintendent of Phuket police, although he admitted roads away from beach areas were clogged with traffic.

Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

that sign is so dirty already

Isan artists feel tsunami's effects

TAWEESAK BUTCHAN

Ubon Ratchathani _ The December tsunami not only hit people and businessmen along the Andaman coastal provinces _ its effect has spread to the farthest ends of the Northeast.

Artist Amnuay Sutthang and members of his Thai art centre sold paintings and sculptures to southern hotels and tourists.

With the drastic drop in tourism to the South in the wake of the tsunami many orders have been cancelled, sales are down.

Mr Amnuay, 49, a native of Plakhao village in Ubon Ratchathani's Nam Yuen district, had received an order from Andaman President Hotel to sculpt 40 characters from the Ramakian epic, the Thai version of the Indian Ramayana.

He had already made 12 characters when the tsunami struck on Dec 26. As the hotel was badly hit, the sculptures remain at his house, unpaid for. He said he invested about 20,000 baht in each of them.

Mr Amnuay said most of the customers for work produced at his Thai art centre were foreigners, who were fond of Thai-style paintings and art works.

He set up the centre on part of his own 20-rai plot of land, and then taught local people, many of them the children of poor farmers, how to make paintings and create sculptures.

After completing his study at Bangkok art college in 1979, Mr Amnuay first worked at a design firm.

He later resigned and worked as an art trainer for Cambodian refugees at Khao E-dang refugee camp. When the camp was closed, he applied for a teaching job at a vocational school in Ubon Ratchathani, but that school, too, was closed. He then worked as a freelance artist, supplying Thai-style paintings to galleries in tourist cities.

In 1992, he returned to his hometown in Nam Yuen district, where he established the Thai art centre with the aim of conserving traditional Thai-style art works. The centre has 40 members, aged 17-30. They had been earning 2,000-15,000 baht a month from paintings and sculptures. Paintings sold for 200-100,000 baht depending on size and detail, Mr Amnuay said.

Tsunami alert system discussed
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney

Patricio Burnal, from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), speaks during a tsunami detection meeting in Perth, 03 August 2005

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Delegates are meeting to discuss how far the project has come

An international group working to set up a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean is meeting in Australia.

Representatives from more than 20 nations have gathered in Perth to discuss the technical and scientific requirements.

The group co-ordinating the project was set up in June by the United Nations.

The framework for the system is already in place, but the Perth meeting will find out how far the project has come and how much more needs to be done.

It will be a network of separate alert systems operated by individual countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.

They will be linked to each other through a regional centre which is yet to be established.

The backbone of this co-ordinated set-up will be an array of hi-tech wave, tide and pressure sensors.

They are already transmitting information about climate and other scientific data every hour or so.

Officials hope these gauges will be upgraded by the end of the year to form an interim warning system that can be fully operational by the middle of next year.

A major challenge will be ensuring that remote communities around the Indian Ocean are well-protected in the future.

Delegates in Perth will also hear reports of the progress of evacuation and emergency plans which governments around the region are putting into place to cope with future tsunami.

Last December's Asian tsunami killed more than 220,000 people and caused massive devastation.

3rd Global Summit to Address Sustained Travel Industry Response to Tsunami Affected Areas
Jul 22, 05 | 2:56 pm


A key goal of the 3rd Global Summit on Peace through Tourism is to develop a sustained travel industry response to the social and economic re-vitalization of tsunami affected countries in support of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) leadership initiatives.

The 3rd Global Summit on Peace through Tourism is being held October 2-5, 2005 at the award winning Royal Cliff Beach Resort and Conference Center, Pattaya, Thailand.

A plenary session to be moderated by PATA President and CEO Peter DeJong will focus on identifying actions and strategies by which the travel and tourism industry can make
a significant contribution to the long term re-development of tsunami affected areas, particularly areas which thrive on tourism.

Featured keynote speakers on the panel will include Tourism Ministers from tsunami affected countries as well as industry leaders from the private sector.

A workshop will follow where ideas and suggestions brought forward in the plenary session will be discussed further with a view to developing partnering relationships and a coordinated approach to implementation strategies.

http://www.trekkingthai.com/webboard/talaycamp/0954-3.jpg http://www.trekkingthai.com/webboard/talaycamp/0954-6.jpg http://www.trekkingthai.com/webboard/talaycamp/0954-4.jpg

I went to PhiPhi recently and Tsunami has changed PhiPhi abit but in better way.

it is not too crowd anymore so the atmosphere is definitely wonderful
went to PhiPhi and the south area many times and love it

It could take three years to identify everyone killed in Thailand during the tsunami, Thai officials have said.

The head of the victim identification centre, Noppadol Somboonsub, said 1,600 bodies still needed to be identified.

He said the process might take longer than originally expected, because many victims were illegal immigrants, whose families were afraid to come forward.

More than 220,000 people were killed during last December's tsunami, 5,500 of them in Thailand.

'Hard burden'

Mr Noppadol - head of the Thailand Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) centre - said the process was getting more and more difficult as time went on.

"It is a hard burden for us because it will not be finished in one year. It will take another two to three years," he told reporters on Monday.

So far Thai experts, working with forensic teams from across the world, have identified 2,165 bodies from more than 3,700 received at the Phuket-based centre since the disaster occurred on 26 December.

The identification procedure relies heavily on DNA data, fingerprints and dental records, which are matched to the bodies at the centre.

Fear factor

But many of those left unidentified are believed to be the remains of undocumented Cambodian and Burmese workers, who were working in Thailand illegally.

"We have information that some families who are still staying in Thailand might not have the legal documents, so they are afraid to come forward," Mr Noppadol is quoted as saying by the French news agency AFP.

He said the Thai police had been liaising with the International Organisation for Migration to help in the identification process.

For the first anniversary of the tsunami, the Thai authorities said on Monday that they would organise memorial services in Phuket, Khao Lak and Krabi - the three worst hit areas.

Precise details of these commemorative events are not yet available.


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Thais call up goddess to scare off tsunami ghosts
Fri 19 Aug 2005 4:30 AM ET

BANGKOK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - With Asian tourists still shunning its southern beaches, Thailand is calling in a revered Chinese sea goddess to ward off the restive spirits of the thousands who died in last December's tsunami.

A statue of Godmother Ruby, known as Mazu in Chinese, will be brought to the Thai island of Phuket from the Chinese coastal province of Fujian next month for ghost-clearing rites, said Suwalai Pinpradab of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

"After the tsunami, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Chinese and other East Asians dare not come because they don't want to visit places where mass deaths took place," Suwalai told Reuters on Friday. "It is inauspicious."

Mazu, a Taoist goddess of the sea, has a huge following among fishermen and shipworkers in coastal provinces of southern China and Taiwan.

Thailand's official death toll from the Dec. 26 disaster stands at 5,395, of which 2,436 are believed to be foreigners. Of these, fewer than 50 were East Asians.

Coral little damaged by tsunami

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THAILAND (BBC) - Almost 90% of coral reefs hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami escaped severe damage, according to research.

Study of 175 sites along 435 miles of Thailand's west coast found 60% of reef suffered little or no damage.

Just 13% was severely damaged in the tsunami which killed more than 220,000 people, but scientists expected that to recover in five to 10 years.

The findings were presented to the Royal Geographical Society's annual conference in London on Tuesday.

The study found the most northerly coast and islands more damaged than those further south, with shallow reefs on wave-exposed islands and shorelines most vulnerable.

Areas counted as severely damaged if at least half of the coral was broken or overturned.

Damage could have been caused both by the force of the wave, and stirred-up sediment smothering the coral.

In other areas, coral was dying because the earthquake had lifted the seabed and placed the coral on dry land. But the University of Newcastle's Professor Barbara Brown, who worked alongside Thai researchers, said: "The initial results for Thailand are very encouraging and the resilience of the coral in this area will aid a fast recovery."

She said reefs had suffered greater damage on the coasts of the Indonesian island of Sumatra and India's Andaman and Nicobar islands because they had been hit by the original earthquake as well as the subsequent tsunami.

"A conservative estimate would suggest that many kilometers of shallow coral reef has been killed by uplift caused by the earthquake alone in these locations," the emeritus professor of Tropical Marine Biology said.

Coral reefs stretch from the surface of water down to the limit of light penetration - about 30m deep.

A healthy reef acts much like a natural breakwater and there is evidence they gave some coastlines a little protection - but also took some of the blow.

Tsunami-hit Khao Lak to take chances and re-open
ONNUCHA HUTASINGH

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Around 1,200 of all 6,000 hotel rooms in tsunami-ravaged Khao Lak will be opened to tourists in the high season by entrepreneurs who feel they have no choice but to take the risk despite uncertainty about tourist arrivals.

Khao Lak, located in Phangnga's Takua Pa district, was hit hard by the Dec 26 tsunami. Anupong Sa-nguannam, chairman of Phangnga's tourism business association, said the hotel and resort sector in Khao Lak was slow to recuperate because of delays in the loan-granting process, state assistance, town planning and the setting up of safety systems such as early warning towers and floats.

He said the sluggishness of the loans process and state assistance prevented hotel and resort restoration work from being completed before the high season, which begins in November.

''All entrepreneurs want to return to Khao Lak with 100% confidence that tourists will come back in the near future, as Khao Lak is a beautiful, unspoiled and a unique natural tourist spot. But today, both the entrepreneurs and staff are still in the dark because they lack investment money,'' he said.

Many entrepreneurs in Krabi, Phangnga and Phuket provinces have been frustrated by the slow pace of the government's restoration of the areas ravaged by the tsunami as well as its promised assistance to them. They believe the areas can still attract tourists and that many are willing to return if the infrastructure is restored and they can be safe. (See Page 2)

In Krabi, a major obstacle was delays in restoration work caused by new town planning, approved in June, and environmental assessment studies.

''Krabi has many beautiful tourist attractions not affected by the tsunami at all, and chartered flights have been arranged to bring tourists there,'' said Thammasak Phuphanwiwat, chairman of Krabi's chamber of commerce.

''But we are not ready to welcome them. An airport was supposed to be ready in May, but is still far from completion. There are also delays in loan granting and bureaucratic red tape in budget allocations for several restoration projects. All this is caused by the centralisation of power.''

This article begins a series of reports on the situation in the three Andaman coastal provinces which were devastated by the tsunami.

Tsunami-hit provinces 'need help to recover'
ONNUCHA HUTASINGH

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Seven months after tsunami waves struck six Andaman provinces, many tourism businesses are still struggling to survive amid delays in the loan granting process, tourism promotion and state assistance.

However, business operators believe that tourism in Phuket, Phangnga and Krabi still has the potential to boom again because of their numerous natural attractions, if basic infrastructure, restoration work and good town planning are in place.

Hundreds of private sector representatives who attended an Aug 18 tourism rehabilitation workshop in Phuket for tsunami-ravaged areas were stunned by a cabinet member's remark.

The minister in question was said to have told business operators to ''help yourselves without just waiting for government help because the government has so many tasks to do to help people nationwide in the wake of floods and drought''.

The minister said the private sector directly benefited from tourism, so it should sacrifice something by funding at least 50% of a 350 million baht project to put electric wires underground along Phuket's Patong beach and donating land for building an evacuation route on Krabi's Phi Phi Island.

Business operators complained that had the cabinet member known the truth, he would not have made that comment. They said affected businessmen were not only awaiting state assistance but were also doing their best to save their businesses, including borrowing millions of baht from loan sharks with high interest as a result of delays in the granting of restoration loans and lack of access to the loans. The restoration loans reached affected entrepreneurs one to two months ago although most small-scale business operators did not qualify for the loans.

The situation has reached a crisis point for many business operators. Visitors to the area will see a large number of billboards in downtown Phuket advertising the sale of their luxury resorts and land, aimed mainly at foreign investors. Many operators said they had no choice but to sell their properties to clear debts.

''Many stores in downtown [Phuket] have been sold or leased to foreigners. The remainder are still in operation day after day waiting to be seized by banks because they will not bring enough money to pay off debts even if they are sold,'' said Iam Thavornwongwong, chairman of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce.

He said the provincial land office, in the first five months of this year, gained nearly as much as what it earned last year from collecting fees. This showed that Phuket still had potential in the eyes of foreign investors as well as businessmen fleeing violence in the deep South, he said.

''The tsunami waves lowered tourist arrivals by 10 to 15% immediately, but impacts from aftershocks were more serious as these brought tourist arrivals down to only 10%, affecting about 45,000 hotel staff members and almost 100,000 of their family members and leading to the collapse of many tourism-related businesses,'' he added.

The chairman complained that the Tourism Authority of Thailand was too slow in launching cheap tour packages to the Andaman provinces a few months ago. He said the authority's effort to attract foreign markets was ''awkward'', adding that the private sector in Phuket had proposed such packages shortly after the disaster with the aim of attracting around 900,000 tourists at a price of 3,000 baht per head.

Mr Iam also voiced concern that the influx of tourists to Phuket through cheap tours would lead to problems such as worse traffic jams, inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of power and water supplies, crime, and environmental and waste problems unless town planning was improved. ''Low-cost tourism, in the long run, will badly affect Phuket. It's now too early to estimate how many bubbles it has caused for tourism.

''Phuket is a precious product, but now on sale as if it was cheap goods. It has attracted more tourists, but generated little income. If it's like this for a while, Phuket's future will look bleak,'' he said.

The businessman also expressed disappointment with the delays in state assistance, especially the granting of restoration loans due to confusing information about tsunami victims.

He suggested that cabinet members who will meet in Phangnga on Sept 5 and 6 listen to both the private sector and state agencies.

However, he was optimistic that high-end European tourists would return to Phuket later this year, bearing in mind the reservations of about 50% of all 40,000 hotel rooms there.

In Phangnga, there has not been much progress in post-tsunami restoration work.

Surachai Shinsophonphan, chairman of Phangnga Chamber of Commerce, said many parties hoped for swift assistance but there were delays in granting loans from commercial banks, partly due to slow claims processing by insurance firms, and also delays in state assistance because of indecisive operation-level officials.

Mr Surachai said the tsunami caused eight billion baht worth of damage to Phangnga's 18 billion baht economy by sweeping away most luxury hotels and resorts at Khao Lak, Takua Pa district. However, he said it was fortunate that rubber and oil palm, the province's major economic crops, could be sold at high prices this year.

He predicted that everything in Phangnga, including tourism at Khao Lak and other ecotourism attractions, would return to normal in 2007 and European tourists would return since they were still in touch with people there.

''There is no need for us to fear that tourists will not return. But we should think about what they will see upon arrival. ''The government should think about basic infrastructure, roads and tap water which will become problems every dry season and even more serious in highly-populated areas.

''Electricity is still on-and-off. The important thing is how to preserve natural tourist spots. All this requires good planning,'' Mr Surachai added.


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A sign put up by a desperate entrepreneur announces the sale of a land plot at the Khao Lak resort area in Phangnga. — ONNUCHA HUTASING

Elephant-size debt

Lacking state help, mahouts quit tourist trade for work elsewhere

Story by ONNUCHA HUTASINGH

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As soon as deadly tidal waves pounded Phuket province on Dec 26, mahout Chavalit Hoisang, 26, was plunged into a 300,000-baht debt he borrowed from a bank to buy an elephant.

Before the tsunami, Mr Chavalit sent at least 15,000 baht a month to his parents in Buri Ram. After the tsunami, the money stopped.

With a monthly salary of 3,500 baht, Mr Chavalit and 12 other mahouts working at a privately-run safari elephant camp in the Patong beach area were unable to afford the high cost of living in the popular tourist destination.

Their main income was not their salaries, but tips from tourists. They earned more than 10,000 baht a month in tips and more during the peak tourist season. But no longer.

"The owner of the elephant camp asked us to stay here and wait for tourist arrivals in October and November. The owner has promised to give us double wages if we stay," said Mr Chavalit.

"However, during the past months we haven't received any salary. The other mahouts and I decided to stay here because we believe Phuket still has good potential and that it will be prosperous again."

Elephant camps are tourist magnets in Phuket. Although they, like other tsunami-affected businesses, are eligible for low-interest loans from the government, the tough loan requirements and their financial status made it hard for affected business operators to qualify.

Lack of state assistance has driven several mahouts in Phuket to take their elephants to other southern provinces to do work such as hauling logs. They knew that taking their animals out of the island province would lead to them missing the chance of getting well-paid jobs in Phuket, such as providing elephant rides. Phuket authorities had a policy of reducing the number of elephants on the island by not allowing those which left to return.

Major elephant camps like Island Safari, which had around 23 elephants and 80 handlers, have had to shoulder a heavy burden of two million baht a month.

The camp has not cut the salaries of its staff although it has not earned any income during the past seven to eight months.

"If we didn't have a sufficient reserve fund, our business would not have continued operating," said Banchong Diambutr, deputy managing director.

Island Safari elephant camp has not sought any state assistance. It chose to help itself by selling tour packages overseas instead of selling them on the island.

"We want to thank Hong Kong tour agents and tourists who were the first tour group in several low season months to visit our elephant camp on July 16.

"After their visit, European tourists followed. We feel grateful to them for giving us a new lease of life. If the tourism situation does not improve in the next couple of months, our reserve fund will run dry," he said.

He expected that there would be about 70% of usual tourist arrivals in Phuket by the end of the year. Tourism businesses in the province would survive unless factors such as unrest in the deep South affected tourism, he said.

Tsunami alert system needs work
Published on Sep 04 , 2005

The comprehensive tsunami-warning system covering the six Andaman provinces hit by the tsunami will be complete within the year, PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva said yesterday.

Suranand was speaking to reporters after inspecting three tsunami-warning stations on the popular Patong Beach. The three warning stations cover an area of over three square kilometres.

After the inspection, Suranand expressed satisfaction in the progression of the installation of the systems. However, he added that to complete the systems several things such as wiring the stations to the national disaster warning centres, as well as to hotels in the areas, still needed to be implemented.

The minister said the government would speed-up the installation of the tsunami warning stations in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Satun, Ranong and Trang to have them completed within the year.

Before visiting the stations Suranand was briefed by Phuket deputy governor Winai Buapradit who said that 11 broadcast towers had been set up around the island province to warn tourists and local residents of impending danger. The deputy governor said 26 more towers would be set up soon.

Democrat Party deputy leader Jurin Laksanavisith said yesterday his party would submit an open letter to the premier in Phuket today to request that projects to help revive the economy in tsunami-hit areas be sped up. The PM and ministers will attend a mobile Cabinet meeting in the province today.

The Nation

This image was taken by Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite on Jan. 1, 2005. The image shows Thailand’s Phuket International Airport, located 32 km from downtown Phuket, an island resort in southern Thailand. Civilian aircraft are parked at gates and dark colored military relief planes are clearly seen on the tarmac. Relief supplies are stacked along the edges of the tarmac waiting to be distributed. The image shows that the airfield was not damaged and is operational.



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TSUNAMI SCARE: Tremor triggers rush for the hills
Published on September 08, 2005

Chaotic scenes in Phang Nga amid rumours that Phuket submerged. Thousands of people in tsunami-hit Phang Nga province ran for their lives yesterday morning when they felt the ground shaking, provincial officials said. Wilai Nopparit, 43, said he and his family ran about 10 kilometres up a hill in Takua Pa district when they felt the tremor. His family refused to go back down even when an official announcement was issued shortly afterwards to say that there was no tsunami.

“My four-year-old daughter is very scared and refuses to come down. I had to go down and fetch food for my family,” Wilai said.

An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale took place at 6.22am about 260 kilometres off Phuket. The tremor could be felt in Phuket and Phang Nga.

Jitdee Tongmuang, assistant village headman of Tambon Bang Muang, said about 1,000 people rushed to their local Tambon Administrative Organisation on higher ground when they felt the tremor.

“They gradually dispersed at 8am, but they rushed back up again at around 10am when rumours spread that Phuket was submerged,” Jitdee said.

It was a chaotic scene with people fleeing in all directions, he said. During the stampede, a car belonging to one of the villagers hit and injured a Burmese worker, who was later hospitalised.

Tawit Jitprasarn, director of Ban Nam Khem School, said only about 100 of the school’s 470 students turned up for class yesterday – and they all ran away when they heard that Phuket was flooded.

“The students just didn’t listen to their teachers. Given their experiences, their fears were understandable,” he said.

Tawit and the other teachers spent the afternoon knocking on doors to encourage the students to return to class.

Teklai Tannurak, village head of Moo 2 in Tambon Lamkaen, said nearly 1,000 people had taken refuge at Lakkaen Temple.

He said the frightened villagers agreed to disperse only after television and radio stations unanimously said there was no tsunami.

Jamlong Mabamrung, head of the province’s disaster prevention unit, said he contacted relevant agencies immediately after the tremor. He said the Meteorological Department announced shortly after 7am that no tsunami was on its way.

Passakorn Nantasap, a supervisor at the national disaster early-warning centre, said he had to field calls from 6.30am to 11am from people inquiring about the tremor.

“We sent SMS messages to all relevant officials from 6.40am, including governors of southern provinces, informing them that no tsunami was expected,” he said.

Phang Nga Governor Anuwat Metheewiboon said that the situation had returned to normal.

In Phuket, provincial disaster prevention chief Boonchai Somjai said he had not receive any reports of panicked people fleeing to higher ground.

Thais call up goddess to scare off tsunami ghosts
Fri 19 Aug 2005 4:30 AM ET


Khao Lak - Ghosts of tsunami victims no longer haunt Thailand's beaches, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Tuesday.

Many visitors, especially Asian tourists, have shunned beaches hit by the December 26 tsunami for fear of ghosts, which many Thais have reported hearing or seeing after the deadly waves struck.

But Thaksin, who was in the hardest-hit province of Phang Nga for a special cabinet meeting, said the spirits of the dead had already been reborn in line with Buddhist belief.

"I slept well last night," said Thaksin.

"My daughter called and asked me to pray before going to bed and I told her that all of the spirits were already reborn. I have no amulets to ward off ghosts," he said.

Nearly 5 400 people were killed by the tsunami in Thailand, roughly half of them believed to be foreign holidaymakers.

Thailand launches International Competition for Building Memorial to Commemorate Tsunami Disaster
21 September 2005


The Government of Thailand is planning to build a memorial to commemorate the devastating December 2004 Tsunami that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives across South and Southeast Asia.

Some 5,395 Thai and foreign nationals lost their lives, 8,457 people were injured and 2,817 are still missing. The total amount of damage due to the December 26 Tsunami to the economy, society, geological settings, ecological systems and coastline landscape is still difficult to assess.

The Government of Thailand has launched the Tsunami Memorial International Design Competition with the goal of gathering and developing ideas and concepts with the objective of building an appropriate and interactive Memorial.

The Thai Government has selected a site in Khao Lak – Lamru National Park in Phangnga, the hardest hit province in Thailand, to build the Tsunami Memorial as a permanent tribute to those who lost their lives.

The Tsunami Memorial Design Competition is open to all architects and designers, artists and laypersons to design and submit concepts for the memorial.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop, the Thai Government felt it was important to establish some form of cooperative effort between Thais and foreigners to remember the tremendous losses attributed to the Tsunami.

“At the same time, the proposed memorial is to honor all those across the globe who provided assistance and relief to Tsunami-affected persons immediately after the Tsunami hit and in the hours, days and weeks that followed,” said Deputy Prime Minister Suwat.

“Thus the Tsunami Memorial Project should not just be a memorial to the dead, and to the horror of December’s natural disaster, but also a monument to the living, to the friendship and humanity that was demonstrated by all. It is hoped that the project once completed will be a place where people from all over the world would like to visit and pay tribute,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.

To carry out the international competition, the Sub-Committee for Tsunami Memorial Project, headed by its chairman, Dr. Plodprasob Suraswadi, has set up a working committee to act as competition organizer. The Competition Organizing Committee chaired by Prof. Dr. Apinan Poshyananda, Director-General of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture, has appointed the Council of Architects Thailand as the Competition Advisor to manage the international competition as well as oversee the competition procedure.

The Tsunami Memorial will be created through a two-stage international competition. Stage I is open to all. A jury of prominent design professionals from Thailand and other countries will select five finalists, who will then be invited to further develop their concepts together with an architect who has a license to practice in Thailand in Stage I of the competition. A second jury will then review these designs and recommend a final design for submittal to the Government of Thailand in May 2006.

The concepts from the five finalists will be displayed at an exhibition planned during the foundation stone laying ceremony at Khao Lak – Lamru National Park in Phangnga. H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra will preside over the event on 26 December 2005.

The five individuals or teams participating in Stage II of the Tsunami Memorial Design Competition become eligible to receive a US$ 25,000 Honorarium. The Honorarium will be paid upon submission of a refined concept for Stage II. The owner of the selected final design will sign a contract with the Thai Government and then be asked to work cooperatively together with architects registered in Thailand in the development of the final design for construction.

Tsunami-hit Le Meridien Khao Lak opens again

Published on September 24, 2005

Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort in Thailand will reopen today after last December’s tsunami forced its closure. General manager Achim Brueckner said Le Meridien spent about US$18 million (Bt739 million) to renovate the property, 60 per cent of which was damaged by the tsunami.

Before December 24 last year, there were about 6,000 hotel rooms in Phang Nga province’s Khao Lak. Now only 1,200 rooms are in operation, including the Le Meridien Khao Lak, which will hold an official reopening on October 15. “We are now 500-per-cent complete. But the business is slowly coming back,” Brueckner said.

So far, the Le Meridien Khao Lak has mustered 60 contracts from clients, mostly from Europe and the Nordic countries. Brueckner said it would be difficult to forecast the recovery of the tourism business between now and the end of the year, although the Le Meridien Khao Lak was already fully booked for December.

Located just an hour from Phuket International Airport and 19 kilometres south of market town Takua Pa, the Le Meridien Khao Lak is close to the Similan Islands, a marine national park world-famous for its scuba-diving locations. Lamru Natural National Park, which offers eco-tourism opportunities, is also close by.

The hotel offers a choice of restaurants and bars, many with al fresco dining, 243 rooms, 10 lagoon villas and 15 pool villas. Each luxury pool villa features private gardens, a 25-metre private pool, hot tub and open-air Sala. All villas are equipped with 42-inch plasma screen televisions and wireless broadband Internet connections.

The resort’s spa, Le Spa, has lush tropical indoor and outdoor landscaping and features eight private, self-contained villas for spa treatments with a separate 25-metre swimming pool and a garden-pool bar.

Thanong Khanthong

The Nation

Tsunami warning towers finally get the go-ahead

Published on October 13, 2005

Suranand says all 62 will be in place by March next year.

After a long wait and heavy criticism the Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva yesterday announced that the construction of the tsunami warning system is finally in progress, and that 24 warning towers will be completed by December 26, the first anniversary of the disaster.

The government plans to build 62 warning towers of which four will come under the responsibility of Phuket’s local authorities. Twelve towers will be completed next month, another 12 by December 26 and the remaining 38 will be ready by next March, Suranand said.

The towers will be linked to 12 warning stations that will receive signals via satellite. The project will cost just over Bt38 million and the Ministry of Interior will take responsibility for the stations’ construction, he added. Maps and signs showing tsunami escape trails will be available by November 15.

To commemorate the first anniversary of the tsunami, between December 25 and 27 the government is to hold a series of events in the six provinces affected by the killer waves, as well as playing host to local and foreign victims, Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop said yesterday.

At least 10,000 people will be invited, including some 7,000 foreigners - made up of some 2,000 relatives of those who died in the disaster and 5,000 who were themselves injured - and about 3,000 Thais, Suwat said.

The cost of entertaining each foreign guest will be about Bt40,000, he said. Activities during the commemoration will include religious services at six major beaches at Koh Phi Phi, Patong, Kamala, Ban Namkhem, Ban Bangniang and Mai Khao. Guests will also gather at Khao Lak’s Bang Niang area for the laying of the foundations for the Tsunami Remembrance Statue on December 26.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Department of Mineral Resources revealed yesterday that there had been 2,600 earthquakes in the region since the tsunami.

His department is now conducting a new earthquake-risk map of the country that will be available to help develop further prevention measures.

New site eyed for tsunami monument

Private land near old location `a threat'

PREEYANAT PHANAYANGGOOR

A new site may need to be found for the planned tsunami memorial and museum in Phangnga province, Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop said yesterday. The memorial was originally to be built on a 20-rai block of land which is part of an abandoned rubber plantation in Khao Lak Lam Lu National Park.

However, the site is next to a 30-rai block of private land which could be commercially developed in the future. If that happened, it would go against the purpose of the memorial.

Therefore, a new site may need to be found for the tsunami memorial project, Mr Suwat said, adding that it would still be located inside the national park.

A 17-rai plot had already been offered for the project by the Marine Police, he said.

``I will visit the site on Sunday before deciding where the memorial is to be located. It is important that we know the location as soon as possible since the ceremony to lay its foundation stone, to be presided over by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has already been scheduled for Dec 26,'' Mr Suwat said.

On that day, commemorative events would be held at six locations to mark the first anniversary of the tsunami that ravaged the Andaman Sea and Indian Ocean coast.

More than 10,000 guests would be invited to take part in the events.

They would include about 50 VIP guests including former US presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Britain's Prince Andrew.

Also, about 10,000 people injured in the tsunami disaster in Thailand and relatives of the dead would be flown in as guests of the government, which would offer them free return air tickets and two nights accommodation.

It would cost the government about 40,000 baht per guest, or a total of 400 million baht, he said.

Mr Suwat expressed concern that there might be a shortage of hotel rooms during the tsunami commemorative events, as the period would coincide with the peak tourism season.

There are now about 5,000 rooms available for foreign guests.

He said home-stay accommodation would be an option if there were not enough hotel rooms during that period.

Tomorrow, the Foreign Ministry will post on its website an official invitation for those injured in the tsunami and relatives of the dead victims to register as guests before the end of October.

PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva said a budget of about 38 million baht has been set aside for construction of 24 disaster-alert towers at key tourist and populous areas in the six Andaman coastal provinces before the first tsunami anniversary arrives.

The remaining towers would be in place by March next year, making a total of 60, he said.

Maps and signs showing evacuation routes would be completed by Nov 15, and bidding for a contract to lay tsunami detection buoys in the Andaman Sea could start next month.

The country's comprehensive tsunami-warning system would be completed by the middle of next year, Mr Suranand said.

TSUNAMI PANIC: False alarm sends residents running

Published on December 15, 2005

Several hurt in road accidents as locals flee after third faulty signal in a year. Frightened villagers in six Andaman coastal provinces yesterday headed for the hills in panic when sirens went off at the hands of a “careless” American technician, officials said yesterday. Several people were injured in a spate of road accidents as residents fled Krabi, Phuket, Ranong, Phang Nga, Trang and Satun provinces. No fatalities were reported.

This is the third time since last year’s tsunami that the National Disaster Warning Centre has mistakenly sounded the alarm. The first two mistakes were caused when the centre’s senior staff overreacted.

“Please accept our apologies,” said ACM Anupan Snidvongse Na Ayudhya, deputy director of the centre.

“We [the warning centre], as the authorised agency, have to take responsibility even though it was the carelessness of the staff of the American company hired to set up the system.”

Anupan said representatives of Raydant International Co were called in to set up the warning system and demonstrate it to staff ahead of an official rehearsal tomorrow.

But an American technician accidentally pushed the alarm button because he thought it was a testing button. He tried to cancel the alarm but it was too late, Anupan said.

Jim Hannes, head of Raydant’s engineering department, said the company would take responsibility for all damage caused by the mistake.

When the sirens sounded in the six provinces hit by the killer waves, residents assumed that another tsunami was coming and fled to high ground.

“We all rushed to higher ground in the vehicles available and left all our clothes and belongings at home,” said Ampol Klongyuan, 61, from Baan Tubnua in Ranong. Ampol survived last year’s tsunami by climbing up a tamarind tree with his two nephews.

Anupan said the siren went off just once, but other residents said they heard it twice, along with warning messages in several languages.

“We heard [from the speakers] that ‘the giant wave is coming, please go to the safe places’ not only in Thai, but also in English and other languages that I didn’t know,” said Surat Khunchan, from Baan Nam Khem in Phang Nga’s Takua Pa district.

Along with the sirens, the system was programmed to send out warning messages in Thai, English, Chinese, French, German and Japanese.

The villagers of Baan Nam Khem, which was hard hit by the tsunami, hid for hours until officials in pickup trucks told them the coast was clear. Eight people were reported injured in road accidents in the village.

In Satun, officials tore themselves away from dinner when they heard the alarm and headed for seaside villages, particularly tsunami-ravaged Baan Khao Jed Look, to evacuate villagers.

Rony Pramongkij, a sea gypsy from Phuket, fled to a shelter at a small temple one kilometre from her home. She urged the authorities to be more careful about sounding the alarm.

False alarm panics six provinces
POST REPORTERS

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A false alarm caused by tsunami sirens being activated by mistake jolted the nerves of the six Andaman coastal provinces yesterday, sending panic-stricken residents running for higher ground.

Local people and tourists in parts of Krabi, Phangnga, Phuket, Ranong, Satun and Trang ran for their lives when they heard the sirens go off around midday. Panicking motorists collided with other cars and some people were injured.

Boonchai Somjai, head of Phuket's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office, said the alarm was sounded without any notification from the National Disaster Warning Centre's Control and Transmission unit in Nonthaburi.

The Nonthaburi unit said a technician had accidentally pressed an alarm button, setting off sirens in the six provinces.

Plodprasop Suraswadi, the centre director, offered his apology and admitted a technician had wrongly pressed the warning button instead of the system-test button.

Jim Hanas, chief engineer at Raydant International Company contracted to provide tsunami warning solutions, promised compensation in cases where the false alarm had caused car accidents.

Local authorities told angry residents the siren was a test-run ahead of an actual drill tomorrow in the six provinces.

The sirens are fitted to warning towers built in tsunami-risk locations, mostly near popular beaches.

In Krabi, throngs of people in tambon Ao Nang, Muang district, were caught in disarray as they raced to higher ground.

Similar scenes were also observed on Phi Phi island. Many foreign tourists were sunbathing when the siren sounded, causing a commotion. The sound was accompanied by evacuation instructions in different languages.

Kawee Sukanthamet, head of Krabi's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office, said local radio stations helped calm people by telling them it was a false alarm.

wow.. its been a year already.

Five tsunami memorial designs shortlisted
Published on December 16, 2005

Years from now, the tsunami that struck the Andaman beaches will be remembered in the form of a multi-million-baht memorial to be built in Khao Lak Lamru National Park. The tsunami memorial committee said yesterday that it had shortlisted five of the 379 entries received from 43 countries since the government announced the design competition in September. The designs – from China, the United States, Finland, Spain and Australia – were chosen by a special jury for the final selection stage.

“This memorial will not just be a concrete building, it will represent complexity, love and sadness. It will comprise a knowledge centre featuring information on natural disasters, especially tsunamis,” said Apinan Poshyananda, chairman of the competition panel and director-general of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture under the Culture Ministry.

“The jury stressed that these are just initial concepts and it strongly encouraged the prize-winners to work closely with the Council of Architects in Thailand to develop their ideas to the second stage,” said David Elliott, director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and president of the jury.

The jury recommended that the government and local authorities build on the positive results and contributions of this competition to improve the environment and plan sustainable reconstruction of the coastal areas affected by the tsunami in consultation with the Council of Architects in Thailand.

The five shortlisted entries and selected projects will be on display at Le Meridien Hotel in Phang Nga between December 23-28. An exhibition of design entries will also be displayed at Khao Lak Lamru National Park on December 26, when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra lays the foundation stone for the memorial project.

The five short-listed entries are:

1) Avanto Architects Ltd, Anu Puustinen and Ville Hara (Finland).

This proposal focused on a simple and poetic idea in which everyone can participate – whether as an act of remembrance or of play.

2) VeeV Design, Raveevarn Choksombatchai and William Oren (USA).

This bridge-like structure features a consolidation of functions, use of natural materials and has relatively low environmental impact.

3) Ana Somoza Jimenez, Angel Martines, Eva Sebastian Penin and Raquel Lozano (Spain)

These organic, tower-like structures are slightly reminiscent of pagodas and were thought to be unbounded by any particular reference to time or space. They provide a symbolic landmark while integrating with the natural features of the site.

4) Liang Hou (China)

The jury was impressed by the massive iconic expression of this circular form, based on the idea of people holding hands, as well as by its low impact on the surrounding environment. Intimate interior spaces in the plaza are combined with the possibility of a tower providing fine views of the land and sea.

5) Richard Weller and Gary Marinko of the University of Western Australia.

This was the most successful integration of the sea in any entry by the incorporation of a symbolical light grid and it also minimised the impact on the environment. It was further re-enforced by the clustering of the building along the roadside entrance.

The other six members of the jury were Stefano Boeri from Italy, Jonas Bohlin from Sweden, Decha Boonkham from Thailand, MR Chanvudhi Varavarn from Thailand, Jens Ludloff from Germany and Xu Anzhi from China. They reached a series of conclusions and made the following points and statements about the finalists.

“We would like to congratulate people from 43 countries across the world who have submitted work to the competition for the energy and breadth of their vision,” said Elliott.

“Just as the tsunami had a severe global impact we are heartened by the positive global concern that is evident in all the entries.”

He said the jury concentrated on the quality of the conceptual designs in making commendations and awarding prizes during the first stage of the competition. In some cases, exact terms of reference have not been adhered to but in cases in which this infringement did not materially affect the concept the jury decided that this did not rule out the proposal.

The first criteria was to be aware of the needs and sensibilities of local people as well as of the national and international community. The jury has not approached this competition from the strict point of view of assessing only the architecture. An equally important focus has been the assessment of the spiritual power of each proposal in creating an ambience for remembrance, learning and reflection on the complex relations between art, architecture and nature.

Secondly, the proposal should have a minimal environmental impact, economy of expression and respect for nature.

Thirdly, entrants should be concerned with reassessing the idea of what a memorial can be to go beyond a place rooted and looking only towards the past.

The five selected entries will participate in stage two of the competition to further develop details of the design for construction, he said.

The final designs of the five entries are due for submission on May 2. The selection process by the jury is expected by May 14. An official announcement of the winner will be made by the government on May 22.

Phatarawadee Phataranawik

The Nation

Phang Nga

In wake of tsunami, fears of ghosts still haunt Thailand
Friday December 23, 3:15 AM


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Few will actually admit to seeing a ghost themselves, but everyone has heard about them on this once idyllic island still rebuilding after the tsunami killed 700 people.

There was the woman who saw foreign tourists struggling to escape the sea almost a year after the tsunami, and the hotel worker who heard ghosts playing on the beach.

Guards at an oceanfront plaza on nearby Phuket's famed Patong beach said one of their men had quit after hearing a foreign woman cry "help me" all night long.

Similar stories abound of a female foreign ghost walking along the shoreline at night calling for her child.

Many Thais say they believe the souls of the nearly 5,395 people who were killed in the tsunami continued to haunt the Andaman coast long after the debris had been cleared away and reconstruction began.

It's not so much that the spirits are angry as confused. Many Thais of all faiths say that if people die in pain or by accident, their spirits remain lost until they understand what has happened and can move on.

For 26-year-old Lungyai Suriyaporn, her fear that ghosts were still wandering the beaches of Phi Phi was one of the reasons she stayed away from the island for nearly 10 months after the tsunami.

Lungyai returned in October to reopen her backpacker lodge. Guests have been trickling to the modest two-story house, where she also runs a small convenience store off her porch.

She believes most of the lost souls from the tsunami have already moved on and no longer haunt the beaches, but says the memorial ceremonies planned for the first anniversary will help the ghosts that remain.

"This is good, to inform people about the tsunami, and to give ceremonies for the souls, for the ghosts that are still here. And we need to remember all of those who were here and lost their lives in the tsunami," she said.

Thailand will hold interdenominational ceremonies again on the first anniversary of the tsunami, with morning services on five beaches timed for the moment when the waves hit, and a larger candlelight vigil at dusk.

Fears of ghosts have kept Thais and many other Asians from returning to the tsunami-hit beaches, preferring instead to visit the Gulf of Thailand, where the deadly waves did not hit.

Sujitra Wichianirat, 35, an office worker in Bangkok, said she would not go to the Andaman coast even one year later.

"First, I'm scared of ghosts. Second, I'm scared of tsunamis because I'm worried it might happen again. If tsunamis happen, at least we know from the tsunami warning system and I can run away from it. But for ghosts, I don't know how to escape from them," she said.

Hundreds of bodies have yet to be identified -- the Disaster Victim Identification unit says it has 805 bodies or body parts from unknown victims -- which Sujitra said means the dead could be reappearing as ghosts to seek help.

From the moment the tsunami hit, Thai Buddhists have turned to monks to help soothe these lost souls.

When Thais along the Andaman coast began retrieving corpses, they carried them to temples, where hundreds of bodies were kept for months as the largest international forensics team ever assembled began the ongoing work of identifying them.

Temple grounds also became emergency shelters, where thousands of people sought refuge after losing their homes.

Just days after the tsunami hit, monks in their flowing orange robes began walking the beaches, sprinkling holy water, and visiting homes and businesses for cleansing ceremonies.

Muslim, Christian and Hindu religious leaders were also invited to join interdenominational prayer services and "merit-making" ceremonies, which Buddhists believe will help the souls of the dead find a better life as they become reincarnated.

Despite the fears of ghosts, Alan Oliver, an American researcher at the World Buddhist University in Bangkok, said that in general, the tsunami had not shaken Thai Buddhists' faith.

"In Buddhism, there is no 'God did this. Why did God do this?' They see it as a natural cause. Buddhists view that life is imperfect. When a disaster like this happens, they just accept it as a natural way of things happening."

Thank you for posting these articles, Isan. :)

Remembering what happened and reflecting on it, painful as it may be, is a good thing. :angel1:

Survivors unhappy with state assistance

MANOP THIP-OSOD

The first anniversary of the Dec 26 tsunami allowed villagers in Ban Nam Khem to not only air their sorrow, but also complain about the slowness of state assistance. The Takua Pa district village was the hardest hit in the southern province of Phangnga where the death toll was 4,225.

Survivors and foreign visitors yesterday gathered in a local tsunami memorial park to perform religious rites for the dead.

Many clutched pictures of loved ones while some said they refused to give up their search for missing family members.

Buaphan Phumsanit, 55, held the picture of Saengduan Chuchalao, her 19-year-old daughter who was home for a visit from Bangkok with her boyfriend when the giant waves struck.

Saengduan arrived from Bangkok at 6am and was chatting with her mother when she, her boyfriend who was visiting the South for the first time, and her two-year-old nephew were taken by the tsunami before the mother's eyes.

Today, the family sells vegetables for a living because their fishing boat was lost in the waves. ``The assistance fund that the government promised has not reached us at all,'' Ms Buaphan said.

Thoom Klatalay, 32, whose family lost their fishing boat, said what mattered was not only boats, but also children's education.

`We have been taken advantage of because we can't read. We must believe whatever they say. The state said it would give us 60,000 baht for the lost fishing boat, but we got only 30,000 baht. I don't know which wave wiped away the rest of the money,'' she said in tears.

The ceremony at Ban Nam Khem was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop, PM's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva, Joint Staff chief Gen Lertrat Ratanavanich and foreign diplomats whose compatriots were killed in the incident.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his delegation arrived in Phangnga at noon for the handover ceremony of Rosen Heim kindergarten, named after Germany's Rosenheim University which donated funds to build the school. He also gave 100,000 baht of his own money to a fund established by local Wat Yan Yao for meditation practices dedicated to tsunami victims.

He also promised to allocate 31 million baht to construct a new building at the temple, which served as a morgue for thousands of tsunami victims, and 50 million baht to five other Phangnga temples.


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ACHADTAYA CHUENNIRAN MAYTHEE MUANGKAEW

Yesterday's ceremonies in Phuket and Trang to mark the first anniversary of the tsunami disaster saw thousands of Thai and foreign guests moved to tears and consoling each other. On Phuket's Patong beach where the ceremony was presided over by Tourism and Sports Minister Pracha Maleenont, some guests placed flowers on the beach. Some threw roses into the water while others ran into the sea, with roses in their hands, and shouted the names of their loved ones. Some embraced each other.

Aree Saengsridam, a 54-year-old beach masseuse, recounted the death of six of her co-workers when tidal waves swept the Patong beach. She came to remember and mourn them.

Pattanapong Ekvanich, chairman of Phuket's tourism business association, said the grieving Thai and foreign visitors did not like being surrounded by an army of reporters and photographers. He said they would have preferred a simple and sombre ceremony.

Last night, 100,000 candles were lit during a vigil jointly organised by the provincial administration organisation, Patong Municipality and the Tourism Authority of Thailand Region 4.

In Trang, where the waves claimed five lives and left one person missing, the ceremony at Hat Yao pier in Kantang district was attended by hundreds of Thai and foreign guests and began with speeches by Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Chidchai Wannasathit, followed by a moment of silence.

Recorded interviews of about 20 survivors were played at the ceremony, touching the hearts of the participants.

Pol Gen Chidchai later thanked the people who did the unexpected by risking their lives to save others dragged out to sea by the giant waves.

Among the names mentioned were Thanet Limsakul, vice-president of the provincial administration organisation; Sitthichok Lilaphanthasit, a local restaurant owner; Pirapol Chanfak, a reporter; Pol Capt Sathian Paonoi of Kantang police station; and Vijit sae Tae, an assistant village headman.

He also praised those who helped evacuate survivors to higher ground, provided them with food and sent the injured to hospital.

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TSUNAMI ANNIVERSARY: Thousands mourn the dead
Published on December 27, 2005

Events too lavish, too upbeat for many villagers and relatives of disaster victims. The government-organised tsunami commemoration yesterday drew heavy criticism from local villagers and returning survivors as being too lavish, commercially driven and too exclusive.

Yesterday, thousands of survivors and relatives mourned the deaths of their loved ones one year after the tragedy struck, killing a quarter of a million people throughout the region.

The Boxing Day disaster also destroyed homes, villages and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people, and the government’s commemorative ceremony in the six provinces of Thailand that were worst hit was intended to help people grieve and to show the world that the tourism-reliant areas had recovered.

“Four hundred million baht [for the ceremony]? It’s too much,” said Prasith Kaetkrai, a village leader of Baan Thungwa, who lives just a kilometre from the site of yesterday morning’s commemoration service.

The sea gypsy village of 70 families lost 42 members, including Prasith’s wife, to the savage power of the tsunami waves.

“The money could have been put to better use by helping us, the victims,” he said. “We have not had a single baht from the government. Our whole village was rebuilt by help from private donors and foundations. We still have no tap water in the community.”

Prasith organised a three-day event to remember the disaster and invited various grassroots groups to join the people’s commemoration instead of the government’s.

He said the event was needed to highlight the continued plight of the poor in the six provinces who are still suffering from the impact of the December 26 tsunami.

It was in stark contrast to the government service, which featured a chamber orchestra and Miss Universe as the MC in the afternoon.

Thousands of survivors and relatives joined in the memorial services or held their own yesterday at seven locations in Thailand where the earthquake-generated waves killed 5,395 people one year ago.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, attending one of the bigger ceremonies in Phuket, said he hoped all the victims “will be happy in their next life”.

Many foreigners who arrived at Phuket Airport for the ceremonies were handed a 96-page booklet filled with a shopping list and a special “Andaman Grand Sale discount card” that had the government’s tsunami logo printed next to it.

The message in the booklet by Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop stated that the government was hosting a “gigantic Andaman Grand Sale” but nothing about remembrance.

Some people, like Inger Ostergren, head of the Regional Tsunami Response team of Save the Children Sweden which is helping both Thai and Swedish children recover from the traumatic experience, questioned the government’s spending.

“Of course it’s to attract tourists again,” said Ostergren, who felt however that she was not sure if spending money on the fares for foreign relatives of the victims and their accommodation was appropriate.

Twenty-seven-year-old Pole Marta Rabska, a survivor of the Boxing Day tsunami who came back to compliment the Thai government said it was money well spent.

“I don’t think they’re pushing [the sales]. They’re helping tourists to come back.”

“I think the government did a very good job. It will heal those who were suffering,” said Adel Jala, a Saudi Arabian diplomat who works in Germany and another survivor of the gigantic wave who lost a friend at Khao Lak’s Sofitel Resort.

“We came with tears in our eyes and sorrow in our hearts. It will help us get on with the future. If you look at it, in a way we’re remembering the dead and celebrating those who survived,” he said, adding he wanted to openly thank His Majesty the King and his government.

Thais who were critical of the events did not feel confident about identifying themselves, however.

One was a lecturer from a top Thai university and a guest of the afternoon's Tsunami Memorial foundation-stone laying ceremony at Khao Lak-Lamru National Park.

“We’re not a rich country. What the government is doing is overdone. It’s wasteful,” he said. “Villagers’ problems are not being solved yet and it’s like the rain isn’t falling to soothe everyone evenly. But I think it’s too risky for me to stand and talk to you. It won’t be good.”

As the Chamber Orchestra played inappropriately joyous music – Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nacht” (a Little Night Music) – the afternoon event resembled at times a posh concert at an exclusive beach.

In the morning, MC Natharadee Vajraprichanond used over-hyped English expressions like “I am thrilled to welcome you ...”, and again there was joyous Thai pop music.

“I felt it was festive. They were selling tragedy for tourism,” said a Thai staff member of an international aid agency who asked not to be named.

“The staff at the airport were in such a good mood, as if it was a celebration.”

At Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, Prime Minister Thaksin laid the foundation stone for the Tsunami Memorial. However, there was criticism that the construction of the memorial in a protected area would affect the forest.

While some villagers did not know about the museum project, some foreigners agreed a museum should be there.

“I returned to Phi Phi Island for my beloved wife who was lost in the huge waves,” said Mischol Luduic from Switzerland.

“I prayed for her this morning on Phi Phi Island alone. Now my heart and soul has recovered a little bit. Then I joined the memorial here and agree that the Thai government should have a museum to learn about the disaster.”

Phatarawadee Phataranawik,

Pravit Rojanaphruk

Phang-nga

Moment of silence in Thailand to mark tsunami
Monday December 26, 3:34 PM

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Thais and foreigners alike held a minute of silence on the beaches of southern Thailand as they marked the first anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.

In Bang Nieng, hundreds lined up to sign books of remembrance in the shadow of a police patrol boat that was washed one kilometer (half a mile) inland by the killer waves and now stands as a memorial to the catastrophe.

Many of the messages were brief, with one reading, "We miss you every day", while another simply said "Why?!"

Swedish couple Mari Olsson and Michael Sanden were among the crowd who were laying flowers and photos of the dead at an altar.

The pair had come back to Thailand with their two surviving daughters to remember a third who was killed when the entire family was caught up in the watery crush.

"We didn't want to be home at Christmas, we didn't want to celebrate (Christmas Eve)," Olsson said.

"The tsunami has touched the lives of countless people here and abroad," Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak told the gathering.

"One year has passed, we continue the rebuilding process. Much progress has been made but we have more to do still."

Elsewhere, other ceremonies, many organised by foreigners, took place on beaches where some 5,400 Thais and tourists died when the tsunami struck last December 26.

On Phuket's Patong beach, Australian Ingrid Hastie threw flowers into the sea in memory of her mother, who drowned in her first floor hotel room, and declared she would never return to the Thai holiday island.

But Hastie, one of several dozen Australians commemorating their 23 compatriots who died in the waves, said she was glad that she came back for the anniversary and thought she could now move on with her life.

"This was the hurdle, I think we're over it," she said.

The mourners threw red roses and purple Thai orchids into the sea, embracing each other as the waves carried the petals back to the shore, while wreaths were laid beneath an Australian national flag erected in the sand.

But as the media scrum pressed into the crowd, a New Zealand woman shouted at journalists to back away as hundreds of onlookers applauded.

"I think this is very rude of you. I know people have left because they have no room. Could the police do their jobs and keep these people back," she said, her voice breaking.

Moments later thousands of beach-goers stopped to observe a moment of silence.

On Phi Phi island, some 10,000 people gathered to lay orchids and garlands of while flowers at a tsunami alter, including Thai diving instructor Apichart Mukda, who broke his leg in the disaster.

"The tsunami is my worst memory," he said, speaking from a wheelchair.

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to lay a foundation stone for a tsunami memorial in Khao Lak, one of the regions hardest hit by the catastrophe.

At dusk, the premier is to preside over an inter-faith service, where Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh prayers will be read.

Later in the evening two young survivors of the tsunami, 11-year-old Briton Tilly Smith and 10-year-old Thai Patiwat Komkla, will read poems before mourners light hundreds of floating lanterns in Khao Lak.

The day-long memorials follow a weekend of services including candlelight vigils, simple prayers and floral tributes.

The physical damage caused by the tsunami here has largely been repaired. Beaches that were littered with debris have been cleaned and rebuilt with memorial parks, tsunami warning towers and protective seawalls.

Thaksin said that the government still had 100 million baht (2.5 million dollars) in tsunami aid left to use, adding that he thought Thailand's tourism numbers, which plummeted after the catastrophe, would recover by next year.

TSUNAMI ANNIVERSARY: Thousands mourn the dead
Published on December 27, 2005

Events too lavish, too upbeat for many villagers and relatives of disaster victims. The government-organised tsunami commemoration yesterday drew heavy criticism from local villagers and returning survivors as being too lavish, commercially driven and too exclusive.

Yesterday, thousands of survivors and relatives mourned the deaths of their loved ones one year after the tragedy struck, killing a quarter of a million people throughout the region.

The Boxing Day disaster also destroyed homes, villages and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people, and the government’s commemorative ceremony in the six provinces of Thailand that were worst hit was intended to help people grieve and to show the world that the tourism-reliant areas had recovered.

“Four hundred million baht [for the ceremony]? It’s too much,” said Prasith Kaetkrai, a village leader of Baan Thungwa, who lives just a kilometre from the site of yesterday morning’s commemoration service.

The sea gypsy village of 70 families lost 42 members, including Prasith’s wife, to the savage power of the tsunami waves.

“The money could have been put to better use by helping us, the victims,” he said. “We have not had a single baht from the government. Our whole village was rebuilt by help from private donors and foundations. We still have no tap water in the community.”

Prasith organised a three-day event to remember the disaster and invited various grassroots groups to join the people’s commemoration instead of the government’s.

He said the event was needed to highlight the continued plight of the poor in the six provinces who are still suffering from the impact of the December 26 tsunami.

It was in stark contrast to the government service, which featured a chamber orchestra and Miss Universe as the MC in the afternoon.

Thousands of survivors and relatives joined in the memorial services or held their own yesterday at seven locations in Thailand where the earthquake-generated waves killed 5,395 people one year ago.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, attending one of the bigger ceremonies in Phuket, said he hoped all the victims “will be happy in their next life”.

Many foreigners who arrived at Phuket Airport for the ceremonies were handed a 96-page booklet filled with a shopping list and a special “Andaman Grand Sale discount card” that had the government’s tsunami logo printed next to it.

The message in the booklet by Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop stated that the government was hosting a “gigantic Andaman Grand Sale” but nothing about remembrance.

Some people, like Inger Ostergren, head of the Regional Tsunami Response team of Save the Children Sweden which is helping both Thai and Swedish children recover from the traumatic experience, questioned the government’s spending.

“Of course it’s to attract tourists again,” said Ostergren, who felt however that she was not sure if spending money on the fares for foreign relatives of the victims and their accommodation was appropriate.

Twenty-seven-year-old Pole Marta Rabska, a survivor of the Boxing Day tsunami who came back to compliment the Thai government said it was money well spent.

“I don’t think they’re pushing [the sales]. They’re helping tourists to come back.”

“I think the government did a very good job. It will heal those who were suffering,” said Adel Jala, a Saudi Arabian diplomat who works in Germany and another survivor of the gigantic wave who lost a friend at Khao Lak’s Sofitel Resort.

“We came with tears in our eyes and sorrow in our hearts. It will help us get on with the future. If you look at it, in a way we’re remembering the dead and celebrating those who survived,” he said, adding he wanted to openly thank His Majesty the King and his government.

Thais who were critical of the events did not feel confident about identifying themselves, however.

One was a lecturer from a top Thai university and a guest of the afternoon's Tsunami Memorial foundation-stone laying ceremony at Khao Lak-Lamru National Park.

“We’re not a rich country. What the government is doing is overdone. It’s wasteful,” he said. “Villagers’ problems are not being solved yet and it’s like the rain isn’t falling to soothe everyone evenly. But I think it’s too risky for me to stand and talk to you. It won’t be good.”

As the Chamber Orchestra played inappropriately joyous music – Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nacht” (a Little Night Music) – the afternoon event resembled at times a posh concert at an exclusive beach.

In the morning, MC Natharadee Vajraprichanond used over-hyped English expressions like “I am thrilled to welcome you ...”, and again there was joyous Thai pop music.

“I felt it was festive. They were selling tragedy for tourism,” said a Thai staff member of an international aid agency who asked not to be named.

“The staff at the airport were in such a good mood, as if it was a celebration.”

At Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, Prime Minister Thaksin laid the foundation stone for the Tsunami Memorial. However, there was criticism that the construction of the memorial in a protected area would affect the forest.

While some villagers did not know about the museum project, some foreigners agreed a museum should be there.

“I returned to Phi Phi Island for my beloved wife who was lost in the huge waves,” said Mischol Luduic from Switzerland.

“I prayed for her this morning on Phi Phi Island alone. Now my heart and soul has recovered a little bit. Then I joined the memorial here and agree that the Thai government should have a museum to learn about the disaster.”

Phatarawadee Phataranawik,

Pravit Rojanaphruk

Phang-nga

TSUNAMI ANNIVERSARY: Thousands mourn the dead
Many foreigners who arrived at Phuket Airport for the ceremonies were handed a 96-page booklet filled with a shopping list and a special ?Andaman Grand Sale discount card? that had the government?s tsunami logo printed next to it.

The message in the booklet by Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop stated that the government was hosting a ?gigantic Andaman Grand Sale? but nothing about remembrance.
Sounds like those sponsored tourist booklets with a map in it that has always been available in Phuket and in major tourist destinations around the world.
Of course not the first thing the people who arrive there for mourning missing relatives want to see, but on the other hand I think the region has a right to try to recover some of the money lost during the last season when they were anything but selfish during the tsunami's aftermath. A half empty island during most of the previous high season must have been really tough on the economy. They could have been a little more discrete about making money from the event though :)

Hope they'll increase the help to the sea gypsies also, if their claims are true.

Andaman coast residents on quake alert

By Post reporters


People living along the Andaman coast and fishermen at sea are being urged to be on alert following a report of 31 earthquakes in the Andaman Sea over recent days.

In a statement, the National Disaster Warning Centre calls on residents and fishing vessels to notify authorities if they detect irregular changes in the sea including changes in colour, bubbles on the sea surface and a smell of sulphur.

According to the centre, these could be signs of underwater volcano eruptions which may trigger a tsunami. However, the chances of this happening are slim.

There were 31 earthquakes in the Andaman Sea, with the epicentre being about 400 to 600 km off the Ranong coast, from March 9 to 11.

On Friday alone there were as many as 21 tremors while a mild earthquake measured at 4.9 on the Richter scale was felt yesterday morning in Phuket.

Plodprasop Suraswadi, the centre director, said that while a tsunami is unlikely, it is better to put people on alert because having 31 earthquakes in a short space of time is rare.

He advised residents living along the coast to keep their ears to the ground and said the centre will update the situation every 12 hours. He said the centre can issue an early warning, which will give villagers at least 40 minutes to evacuate to safety.

Phuket Governor Udomsak Asavarangkoon said yesterday that the province has informed residents and tourists of the quakes and possible consequences.

Some residents in Laem Tukkae cape community have evacuated to higher ground after learning about the tremors while those at several other beaches have stayed put for a warning.


http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/12Mar2006_news01.php

SMS glitch mars testing of new tsunami warning system
Wednesday May 17, 10:40 PM

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Delayed SMS messages in Thailand marred otherwise successful trial of a regional tsunami warning system by dozens of countries across the Pacific.

The exercise, code-named Pacific Wave '06, was initially declared a success by officials at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii, who said a series of earthquakes hitting the region for real had not disrupted the test.

"If those events were large enough to cause a tsunami warning to be issued then we would have terminated the test at that point," duty geophysicist Stuart Koyanagi told AFP.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand's Kermadec Islands late Tuesday, just hours before the test began, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake then struck near Indonesia's Nias island at 1528 GMT Tuesday and two temblors of magnitude 5.8 and 6.0 struck Tonga after the exercise began at 1900 GMT with a mock 9.2 quake off Chile, the USGS said.

The warning centre in Hawaii, which launched the test exercise for more than 30 countries, said none of the earthquakes triggered genuine Pacific-wide tsunami warnings, but the two biggest could cause small local tsunamis.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake zones.

Of more concern to test organisers was news later that plans to alert emergency coordinators to tsunami threats failed to work in Thailand when busy cell phone networks took hours to deliver key messages.

"The problem we faced was with communications. We have no idea whether our messages sent to local operations chiefs by fax and SMS arrived on time or not, and by midday some of them said they did not recieve the SMS," Pakdivat Vajirapanlop from the National Disaster Warning Center told AFP.

"We need to know whether they have received our messages. What can they do if the messages don't arrive on time? Then the warning is useless," said Pakdivat, the center's deputy operations chief.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning System (PTWS) test was part of an effort to strengthen defences following the December 26, 2004 killer waves that swept across countries in the northern Indian Ocean, killing around 220,000 people.

Koyanagi, speaking before news of the warning delays in Thailand, admitted there were some areas where communications would need to be improved.

This mainly involved small island nations in the South Pacific, where communication systems were not well developed.

"I think for the first test there may have been a few that we had difficulty getting through to.

"The fact that the test ran for a pretty long period of time allowed us to backtrack and eventually get hold of just about everybody," he said.

The exercise began with a mock alert about the quake off the coast of Chile, which theoretically sparked a tsunami across the eastern Pacific. The second phase of the test involved a fake quake north of the Philippines.

Some countries, including the Philippines and Malaysia, staged partial evacuations as part of the exercise.

In the Philippines, civil defense officials evacuated the coastal village of Buhatan in the Bicol peninsula, 340 kilometers (212 miles) southeast of Manila, early Wednesday, taking all 1,143 residents to higher ground.

The drill took place before the simulated tsunami from the Chile quake was due to reach the shores of the western Pacific, the government seismology office said.

The alert message was successfully passed from regional to provincial to local officials, seismologist Esmeralda Banganan of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told AFP.

In New Zealand, where false media reports of a tsunami caused panic earlier this month, officials spent the day in the crisis management centre beneath parliament.

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"The major lessons learnt today are not about process, they have been about management decisions," the director of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management John Norton said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning System has been in existence for more than 40 years, but exercises have until now only been conducted at national or local level.

The PTWS comes under the aegis of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, which last year also set down the foundations for a tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean.