Missing Tsunami Warning Towers in Phuket Spark Safety Concerns

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

Thitikan Thitipruethikul, a People's Party (PP) MP for Phuket, has raised serious concerns over the unexplained removal of two tsunami warning towers in Thalang district. Thitikan urged the House Committee on Natural and Public Disasters Prevention and Mitigation (NPDPM) to investigate the disappearance of towers WH09 on Mai Khao Beach and WH10 on Le Phang Beach, which were found missing during a site visit on 12th December.

 

Phuket governor Sophon Suwannarat later clarified that the towers were dismantled for repairs, with plans to return the Mai Khao tower to its original location and relocate the Le Phang tower to Phang Nga province. Despite this explanation, Thitikan questioned why the Le Phang Beach tower, crucial due to high tourist traffic, could not be reinstated.

 

The MP also expressed concerns over missing tsunami buoys in the Andaman Sea, some of which have been non-operational for over a year, and stressed the need for state agencies to ensure these safety installations are promptly reinstalled and maintained.

 

 

 

Prasertpong Sornnuwat, a fellow PP MP from Krabi, supported these concerns, highlighting issues with non-functional warning towers and buoys in his own area. Both MPs underscored the importance of transparent communication with the public to alleviate confusion and anxiety over these vital safety measures.

 

Rapassorn Niyamosatha, vice-chair of the NPDPM committee, assured that the issues would be addressed. He emphasised enhancing the use of existing tsunami buoys and ensuring effective disaster response systems are in place to protect the public.

 

This situation underscores the critical importance of maintaining and communicating essential safety infrastructure, especially in regions prone to natural disasters, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2025-04-03

 

 

[black tabby12345]

One question out of my curiosity, to the Phuket resident.

How far is the closest hill(high enough to survive in case of Tsunami)  from the beach?

[KhunLA]

6 minutes ago, black tabby12345 said:

One question out of my curiosity, to the Phuket resident.

How far is the closest hill(high enough to survive in case of Tsunami)  from the beach?

So ... Never by to Phuket 

 

With the slightest advanced warning, nobody should get hurt on Phuket.

[black tabby12345]

1 minute ago, KhunLA said:

So ... Never by to Phuket 

 

With the slightest advanced warning, nobody should get hurt on Phuket.

 

I have been to Phuket just once.

During my first visit to this kingdom, back in 98.

And I stayed there(on Patong Beach) just one day.

I was lucky that that sea surge didn't take place at that time...

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

I have been to Phuket just once.

During my first visit to this kingdom, back in 98.

And I stayed there(on Patong Beach) just one day.

I was lucky that that sea surge didn't take place at that time...

Only about 250 people died on Phuket during the tsunami.  And probably all on street level.  

 

People should be a lot wiser now, and not get caught off guard.  Even that was a once in a century occurrence.  

 

More than enough high ground near most of the western beaches to seek refuge.

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Phuket governor Sophon Suwannarat later clarified that the towers were dismantled for repairs, with plans to return the Mai Khao tower to its original location and relocate the Le Phang tower to Phang Nga province. Despite this explanation, Thitikan questioned why the Le Phang Beach tower, crucial due to high tourist traffic, could not be reinstated.

 

The MP also expressed concerns over missing tsunami buoys in the Andaman Sea, some of which have been non-operational for over a year, and stressed the need for state agencies to ensure these safety installations are promptly reinstalled and maintained.

Thailand in a nut-shell

[jcmj]

We all knew this was coming. Pushing for maintenance 555 that will take some time , new laws and oversight. 

[couchpotato]

22 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

I have been to Phuket just once.

During my first visit to this kingdom, back in 98.

And I stayed there(on Patong Beach) just one day.

I was lucky that that sea surge didn't take place at that time...

Yes it knew about you, and waited 6 more years, so you wouldn't be harmed!!

[Surasak]

22 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

I have been to Phuket just once.

During my first visit to this kingdom, back in 98.

And I stayed there(on Patong Beach) just one day.

I was lucky that that sea surge didn't take place at that time...

Then think how lucky I am. I was planning another holiday that Xmas and new Year, to stay at the Amari Coral Beach hotel. However, I changed  my mind and changed to June that year. That is luck!

[couchpotato]

Information.

The Tsunami buoys cannot be properly maintained by Thai personnel, except for basic maintanence. They are very sophisticated and initial cost was over one million USD per buoy when deployed after the 2004 Tsunami.

These buoys are useless as stand alone and for accurate data they must be used as an array (at least 3). They are initially tethered to the seabed, but due to nature, fishing nets and actual cable theft they can drift, which of course renders any data practically useless.

The towers and the buoys were great knee jerk reaction ideas after the Tsunami (albeit very good ideas), but without money and resources allocated for long term maintenance they become obsolete..sad but true.

[black tabby12345]

4 hours ago, Surasak said:

Then think how lucky I am. I was planning another holiday that Xmas and new Year, to stay at the Amari Coral Beach hotel. However, I changed  my mind and changed to June that year. That is luck!

 

Hi, thank you for your post.

When you changed your travel plan then, did you ever feel anything like a foreboding？

[Surasak]

13 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

Hi, thank you for your post.

When you changed your travel plan then, did you ever feel anything like a foreboding？

 Honest answer is no. In my years of taking holidays in Thailand, I had never been in country in the rainy season. As I was due to retire in two years, I just decided to change to mid year. Was someone looking out for me? Was it a premonition? Or was it just happenstance?

[LivinginKata]

The tower at Kata beach next to the townhall was removed a few weeks ago. Never been replaced. I see no reports about why removed .....