Earthquake Panic Empties Andaman Coast: Tourist Numbers Plunge

[newbee2022]

10 minutes ago, Felt 35 said:

 

I have no problem with understanding the people 🙄

Nor me. 

[DonniePeverley]

Pattaya was packed out like never before. 

 

Alot of Bangkokians must have driven out. 

[PeeJayEm]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The issue is magnified by the spread of fake news, with netizens posting alarming, outdated images that evoke memories of the devastating 2004 tsunami.

The ignorance quotient of the average person everywhere these days seems to have risen hugely on the back of a preference to believe any sensationalism and an inability to inquire.

 

[johng]

6 minutes ago, PeeJayEm said:

a preference to believe any sensationalism and an inability to inquire.

 

 

But they said  "doing your own research"

was dangerous and made you more prone to mis and mal information,

stupid "peons"  should just trust the government,media and the "experts"

 

[Andrewdownunder]

On 6/27/2024 at 12:46 PM, Dr Jon said:

Some people must have a very sad existence if they need drugs or alcohol to escape from reality. I genuinely feel very sorry for anyone who has such a miserable life.

 

On 3/28/2025 at 1:37 PM, Screaming said:

Fascinating, I felt it way down in Naklua on the 22floor of a condo on the beach.

 

2 hours ago, frank83628 said:

You should look up Graham handcock & Randal Carlson. Plenty of others out there on a huge commet strike 12000yrs ago wiping out most of the planet.

Several civilizations throughout history have been devastated—or even wiped out—by tsunamis and earthquakes. Some of the most notable include:

 

1. Minoan Civilization (Crete, Greece) – c. 1600 BCE

• Disaster: The Thera (Santorini) eruption caused massive tsunamis and earthquakes.

• Impact: The tsunamis hit the Minoan stronghold of Knossos, severely weakening the civilization.

• Result: While the Minoans didn’t vanish immediately, their weakened state made them vulnerable to Mycenaean conquest.

 

2. Helike (Ancient Greece) – 373 BCE

• Disaster: A massive earthquake followed by a tsunami submerged the Greek city of Helike into the Gulf of Corinth.

• Impact: The city disappeared overnight and was never rebuilt.

• Result: Helike became a lost city and was only rediscovered in the 20th century.

 

3. Port Royal (Jamaica) – 1692

• Disaster: A catastrophic earthquake triggered a liquefaction event and tsunami.

• Impact: Two-thirds of Port Royal, a major pirate hub, sank into the sea.

• Result: The disaster destroyed the city, and it never fully recovered.

 

4. Mohenjo-Daro (Indus Valley Civilization) – c. 1900 BCE

• Disaster: Some theories suggest that earthquakes and shifting river courses led to its decline.

• Impact: Environmental changes caused mass migration.

• Result: The city was abandoned, contributing to the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization.

 

5. Lima & Callao (Peru) – 1746

• Disaster: A 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a massive tsunami destroyed Callao and much of Lima.

• Impact: Over 90% of Callao was wiped out.

• Result: The city was later rebuilt, but the disaster permanently altered Peru’s coastal settlements.

 

6. Kamakura (Japan) – 1293 & 1703

• Disaster: The 1293 Kamakura earthquake and the 1703 Genroku earthquake triggered tsunamis.

• Impact: The 1293 event killed 23,000+ people, while the 1703 disaster devastated the region.

• Result: Kamakura, once a political center, declined in importance.

 

7. Atlantis (Mythical Civilization)

• Disaster: Some theories suggest Atlantis was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami, possibly inspired by the fall of Minoan Crete.

• Impact: The legend describes a great city sinking into the sea.

• Result: While Atlantis remains mythical, it may have been based on real disasters.

[frank83628]

Thats the dowside of social media, I just had a scroll through FB and saw many clips of buildings collapsing with headline saying Thailand, the new looking ones I guess are Burma, but some are clearly old videos of elswhere.

Why people feel the need to make up BS is beyond me.

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Thats the dowside of social media, I just had a scroll through FB and saw many clips of buildings collapsing with headline saying Thailand, the new looking ones I guess are Burma, but some are clearly old videos of elswhere.

Why people feel the need to make up BS is beyond me.

 

I too watched videos (re-posted by people in the UK) of the roads getting ripped up etc and building swaying and falling....   Some of these videos clearly showed Japanese numberplate vehicles, and imagery from other disaster sites mixed in with the worst of the images from Bangkok. 

 

Those who make such media are not invested in truth, they are interested in clicks and created drama - personally, for anyone who deliberately 'creates' such false media there should be penalties, as this creates further hysteria. 

 

News outlets themselves are just as bad - my Wife and I received well wishing messages from all of the world - it was as if the whole of Bangkok had been flattened - the media only interested in reporting the most extreme of damage, rather than a balanced overview. 

 

If anyone ever watched 'Drop the Dead Donkey' from the UK years ago - this is exactly what happens.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

27 minutes ago, Andrewdownunder said:

Several civilizations throughout history have been devastated—or even wiped out—by tsunamis and earthquakes. Some of the most notable include:

<clipped>

 

Understanding the area is key to understanding the Tsunami risk. 

 

This quake clearly presented no risk whatsoever of a Tsunami, anywhere - certainly not the Andaman.

 

However, La Palma (Canary Islands) could cause devastation across the whole Eastern seaboard of the Americas (the Netflix series was exaggerated - but based on a geological reality).

[kwilco]

Reporting of the quakes affects in Thailand by the main Thai media has been very poor. This has left the door open for supposition and rumour in social media.

THe Thai authorities have been particularly incompetent about this - firstly they failed to anticipate this.

Secondly the initial Thai reaction to anything like this is to play it down to reduce the effects on tourist and other areas of the Thai economy - of course it hasn't worked - it never does - and now they are paying the price.

They claim to have surveyed all structures in BKK and declared them safe - the truth is that no-one believes them. 

They should appoint a post quake committee to set matters straight.

 

[MadAtMatrix]

There was a guy who posted the other day in “Expat Bikers Thailand” on facebook about a quake off the tip of Sumatra that was going to affect the Andaman sea. He was told he was spewing BS and was called out by many. 
 

I went to find the post today and it’s gone. I should have took a screen shot. 
 

 

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, MadAtMatrix said:

There was a guy who posted the other day in “Expat Bikers Thailand” on facebook about a quake off the tip of Sumatra that was going to affect the Andaman sea. He was told he was spewing BS and was called out by many. 
 

I went to find the post today and it’s gone. I should have took a screen shot. 

 

The issue is when the information originates from unofficial sources - no one wants unfounded hysteria... but we 'need' information we can trust.

 

A quake at the type of Sumatra (Ache) is certain a risk for the West Coast of Thailand.

 

 

Hopefully - this earthquake triggers Thailands emergency warning systems into action a little more quickly - after an announcements were made in March Last year that such systems were being put into place... 

 

 

 

 

[frank83628]

9 minutes ago, kwilco said:

Reporting of the quakes affects in Thailand by the main Thai media has been very poor. This has left the door open for supposition and rumour in social media.

THe Thai authorities have been particularly incompetent about this - firstly they failed to anticipate this.

Secondly the initial Thai reaction to anything like this is to play it down to reduce the effects on tourist and other areas of the Thai economy - of course it hasn't worked - it never does - and now they are paying the price.

They claim to have surveyed all structures in BKK and declared them safe - the truth is that no-one believes them. 

They should appoint a post quake committee to set matters straight.

 

 How TF can they anticipate and earthquake in Burma? I guess youre one of the AN Thai bashers!

I have not seen any announcement that they have surveyed every building, perhaps that have looked at the main ones and are in the process, but I'd say its impossible to have done the entire city in 3 days. I suggest you have made that up.

As for down playing it, well, they got away relatively lightly, no need to have the world thinking thailand was flattened, as has been doing the rounds on social media, or do you think its best for everyone to panic unnecessarily?

I think your POV is just negative toward Thailand.

 

[Taco]

The exodus happens every year amply named the end of high season

[chondan]

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Might be a good time to head to the west coast, before rainy season & rough seas 

 

May the fake news continue ... "I heard ... tsunami being mentioned"

 

... shh 

 

DISCLAIMER:  this is FAKE news

 

Real news below .. 4.0+ in last 24 hous

 

source: https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/today.html

 

 

[Ironmike]

It's really so amazing that so many ignorant people are posting here about who is to blame,,, I have lived here since before 2004 and I'm a commercial diver so I helped recover the dead bodies trapped under the debris so who is to blame????Hello morons it's called nature and as long as humans are making millions of dollars by destroying this planet it will continue to happen. 

Who is responsible for this happening the answer is simple,,, we all are.... 

I'm sure that there will be many stupid morons that will disagree with my comment but I honestly feel sorry for just how stupid you are. 

[couchpotato]

5 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

When the force of nature struck 21 years ago, they were too slow to run for their lives.

Not knowing what to come after the quake and receding tides.

They ought to be glad no one got killed this time; tourists learned what to do when they felt danger while on the beach.

Silly comment..you obviously have no idea how a Tsunami is generated.

[Jeff the Chef]

Listen people, we're all going to die, I'll put money on that, guaranteed, some ask when?

Answer: when it's your turn, and there is naff all you can do about it.

[frank83628]

1 hour ago, Ironmike said:

It's really so amazing that so many ignorant people are posting here about who is to blame,,, I have lived here since before 2004 and I'm a commercial diver so I helped recover the dead bodies trapped under the debris so who is to blame????Hello morons it's called nature and as long as humans are making millions of dollars by destroying this planet it will continue to happen. 

Who is responsible for this happening the answer is simple,,, we all are.... 

I'm sure that there will be many stupid morons that will disagree with my comment but I honestly feel sorry for just how stupid you are. 

Humans are making millions &nature does as it wants, one does not influence the other.

P.S 3 of my friends from Tao rescued the cave kids

[kwilco]

4 hours ago, frank83628 said:

How TF can they anticipate and earthquake in Burma? I guess youre one of the AN Thai bashers!

Sorry - what is this gibberish?? are you quoting someone else??

[frank83628]

13 minutes ago, kwilco said:

Sorry - what is this gibberish?? are you quoting someone else??

This is what you said.... THe Thai authorities have been particularly incompetent about this - firstly they failed to anticipate this

 

Youwhole comment was basically blame Thais for , A,not knowing it was going to happen, then B, not doing enough after,

And downplaying it to save tourism, and you got the nerve to call someone else a racist bigot

[wavodavo]

22 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Another post said 7.8 for the 7.7 magnitude quake. Here we are up to 8.2. 

Well if people are dumb and stupid enough to believe everything that they read  on FAKEBOOK let them fore-go their paid accomodation and cut short their holiday and race to the airport and pay the fees to change there flights and go home..serves tbem right.

[richard_smith237]

9 hours ago, frank83628 said:

This is what you said.... THe Thai authorities have been particularly incompetent about this - firstly they failed to anticipate this

 

Youwhole comment was basically blame Thais for , A,not knowing it was going to happen, then B, not doing enough after,

And downplaying it to save tourism, and you got the nerve to call someone else a racist bigot

 

He is delusional and unaware of his hypocrisy - its probably a 'grumpy old man thing' ... It would be quite comical if it weren't for the vapid toxicity of his racist comments.

 

The fact that there hasn't been massive loss of life is not through luck - Thai buildings withstood the power of one of the largest earthquakes that could be predicted in the city.

 

 

 

 

[ElwoodP]

No need to call each other names.

[wavodavo]

16 hours ago, zepplin said:

And a substandard Thai Chinese building company that wanted to save a few million bht on high strength rebar….

only building to collapse…..

I smell a rat here. the building that imploded was a Government building and I hear that they changed the original design and did away with the steel beams and were relying on the concrete slabs on every floor to hold the building together. I reckon a nice big fat brown envelope for the building inspector from the chinese contractor. Even though many workers  lives  were lost it could have been  much worse if the building was occupied. Could have been hundres killed.

[JAG]

So how about the much hyped warning system, buoys out at sea, warning sirens and announcements, survival plans and instructions as to where to go...

 

No, I thought not.

 

A lot of money was spent on establishing a system of buoys, well out to sea, to give warning of a Tsunami. Were they maintained, do they still work?

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, wavodavo said:

Well if people are dumb and stupid enough to believe everything that they read  on FAKEBOOK let them fore-go their paid accomodation and cut short their holiday and race to the airport and pay the fees to change there flights and go home..serves tbem right.

The 8.2 and other figures were given here on AN, not Farcebook.

 

[mrfill]

23 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

 

So social media carries most of the blame.

That's just shooting the messenger.

Its the people who post the garbage that are the problem, not the vehicle used.

[KhunBENQ]

18 hours ago, Jiggo said:

Any cheap hotels about then?

Bad boy.

I was thinking the same 😜 

Give Phuket another chance?

[Jesse123]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

So how about the much hyped warning system, buoys out at sea, warning sirens and announcements, survival plans and instructions as to where to go...

 

No, I thought not.

 

A lot of money was spent on establishing a system of buoys, well out to sea, to give warning of a Tsunami. Were they maintained, do they still work?

Last I heard was that maintenance was poor - missing batteries etc. It would make sense for this early warning system to be inspected and tested as that may be a better way of reassuring visitors.

[black tabby12345]

18 hours ago, couchpotato said:

Silly comment..you obviously have no idea how a Tsunami is generated.

 

Probably knowing better than you, at least.

 

Lists of the phenomenon that can cause sea surge：

Eruption of the undersea volcanos.

Undersea quake(cause of the Tsunami  on Dec.26, 04).

Crustal movement on the ocean floor.

Very rarely, mass landslide from the mountain can also make it happen(just like the case of Lituya Bay, in Alaska).

 

And the max speed of  Tsunami travel is 800km.

Deeper the ocean, faster they become.

It will travel as fast as 800km max.

 

Often several waves hit the coastal regions, not just once.

So stay alerted after the first one, it's not the end.