Khao Lak fails the test

James Montague

Published 20 September 2007

Observations on Thailand

The phone call came at 7pm, just after I'd clambered into a bath. "Sir, there's been an earthquake in Sumatra: 8.2," crackled through the handset. At first I wasn't clear why I'd been called about tectonic plate movements a thousand miles away. Then the penny dropped. I was on my honeymoon on the west coast Thai beach resort of Khao Lak, with its glass-clear seas and white sand beaches.

snip

The Thai government, and in particular the National Disaster Warning Centre, was nowhere to be seen or heard. The 30-metre beacons stayed silent; no warnings were issued. Survivors from the previous tsunami turned to international news networks.

snip

newstatesman.com

The alarm is not raised everytime there is an earthquake - if this happened people would be panicking many times a year. The alarm is raised when a big wave is on the way. So the test was passed.

Khao Lak fails the test

James Montague

Published 20 September 2007

Observations on Thailand

The phone call came at 7pm, just after I'd clambered into a bath. "Sir, there's been an earthquake in Sumatra: 8.2," crackled through the handset. At first I wasn't clear why I'd been called about tectonic plate movements a thousand miles away. Then the penny dropped. I was on my honeymoon on the west coast Thai beach resort of Khao Lak, with its glass-clear seas and white sand beaches.

snip

The Thai government, and in particular the National Disaster Warning Centre, was nowhere to be seen or heard. The 30-metre beacons stayed silent; no warnings were issued. Survivors from the previous tsunami turned to international news networks.

snip

newstatesman.com