Maybe Up To 6000 Dead, Tidal Waves Slams Thailand

[laura chem uk]

I have some friends on Koh Tao. Does anybody know if the earthquake caused any damage in the gulf of Thailand?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no, but waves were breaking in chiang mai.

sorry folks, but this person has obviously never seen a map of thailand.

deepest sympathies to all thais and farangs who have suffered

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you actually READ what I said, I asked about damage due to the earthquake not the tidal wave.

Earthquakes can make the ground shake and hence cause damage!!!

Obviously a tidal wave cannot pass through a large land mass.

I was only concerned for the people I know living there.

[Tornado]

not sure if it has been posted.

Latest toll: 66 dead, 691 injured

PHUKET: Kawee Sukunthamath, Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), early this evening said that 66 people were confirmed dead by the tidal wave which ravaged Phuket’s coastline this morning. Of the dead, 20 were foreigners. Another 691 people were reported injured and 22 more missing.

Phuket International Airport resumed normal inbound and outbound flight services at about 5 pm this afternoon, after debris left strewn across the runway by the tsunami was cleared off.

Traffic onto and off the island has been redirected over Tao Thepkrasattri Bridge, as the older Sarasin Bridge will remain closed until the government is confident that Phuket is no longer in danger of being hit by a second wave.

In the meantime, many coastal residents have moved inland, fearful that another wave might hit Phuket.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to arrive in Phuket at about 7:30 pm, to inspect the damage and to speak to people suffering from the wave’s devastating effects.

People concerned for the welfare of friends and relatives believed to be on or near the coast when the wave hit can call the emergency rescue center at Tel: 076-214492 or 01-6432755. For calls from outside Thailand, the numbers are Tel: 66 76-214492 or Tel: 66 1 643 2755.

Local police stations may also be able to help. They can be reached by dialling 191 and asking for the district police station for the area concerned.

If calling from outside Thailand, the number for Phuket Provincial Police Headquarters is Tel: 66 76-212046. Phuket Tourist Police may be reached at Tel: 66 76-355015, if dialing from outside the Kingdom.

Readers may find the list of telephone numbers for some of the embassies in Bangkok useful. The numbers are, to the best of the Gazette’s knowledge, up-to-date. Expect to hear a recorded message giving another number for the emergency duty officer.

Australia 66(0) 2 287 2680

Belgium 66 (0) 2 679 5454

Canada 66 (0) 2 636 0540

China 66 (0) 2 245 7032-3 or 2 245 7036

Denmark 66 (0) 2 213 2021-5 or 245 7036

Finland 66 (0) 2 256 9306-9

France 66 (06) 2 266 8250-6 or 2 266 0550-3

Germany 66 (0) 2 287 9000

Ireland 66 (0) 638 0303

Israel 66 (0) 2 260 4854-9

Italy 66 (0) 2 285 4090-3

Japan 66 (0) 2 252 6151-9

South Korea 66 (0) 2 247 7537

Netherlands 66 (0) 2 254 7701-5

New Zealand 66 (0) 2 254 2530

Norway 66 (0) 2 261 0230-5

Russia 66 (0) 2 234 9824

Singapore 66 (0) 2 286 1434

South Korea 66 (0) 2 247 7537

Spain 66 (0) 2 252 6112

Sweden 66 (0) 2 263 7211 or 2 263 7239

Switzerland 66 (0) 2 253 0156

Taiwan 66 (0) 2 670 0200-1

United Kingdom 66 (0) 2 3058333

USA 66 (0) 2 205 4000

Readers should note that Phuket has experienced many disruptions to both landline phone services and mobile phone networks throughout the day, and may experience difficulty in getting through.

p.s. I should of added http://phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=3875 Phuket, Thailand

20:25 local time (GMT +7)

Edited December 26, 2004 by Tornado

[chuchok]

I have some friends on Koh Tao. Does anybody know if the earthquake caused any damage in the gulf of Thailand?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no, but waves were breaking in chiang mai.

sorry folks, but this person has obviously never seen a map of thailand.

deepest sympathies to all thais and farangs who have suffered

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you actually READ what I said, I asked about damage due to the earthquake not the tidal wave.

Earthquakes can make the ground shake and hence cause damage!!!

Obviously a tidal wave cannot pass through a large land mass.

I was only concerned for the people I know living there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

koh tao is fine.I was talking to a friend there this morning.Thay had no idea as to what was going on untill I told them.

[CDB]

Still photos and TV footage indicate that Phi Phi was totally devasted. Earlier reports mentioned 200+ dead one report mentioned up to 700 missing.

Latest reports (23:10) indicate 7000+ around the region and since far flung and isolated regions have not reported (including the whole of Burma) we can expect that the final toll would top 20,000+

International cable TV channels are trying to find the balance of reporting between the thousands of unknown faceless impoverished coastal fishermen and the smaller number of well-off western tourists in Phuket and Maldives

[spog]

Dear Laura,

The earthquake doesn't seem to have been too bad in Thailand. There have been reports of buildings shaking a bit, but I slept through it without noticing,

I have spoken to friends in Chiang Mai and they are fine and say the area is okay.

So your friends are probably okay, too.

I hope that this reassures you.

[laura chem uk]

Dear Laura,

The earthquake doesn't seem to have been too bad in Thailand. There have been reports of buildings shaking a bit, but I slept through it without noticing,

I have spoken to friends in Chiang Mai and they are fine and say the area is okay.

So your friends are probably okay, too.

I hope that this reassures you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you. That is good to know.

All my sympathies to all the thais and farang in the phuket region. This is a horrible disaster.

[sbk]

Felt nothing, didn't even know it had happened until my husband was reading the Thai newspaper online. I have had 2 phone calls from worried parents in England, asking if everything was ok here. Fear for your loved ones is natural, lets try not to get nasty just because people aren't sure what areas were affected.

I have a good friend that may have been in Khao Lak, how far inland did it reach?

[gburns57au]

In fact it is not difficult nor terribly expensive to set up a tsunami warning system -- as already exists in the Pacific.

I don't know why some strange people consider this blaming someone; it's primarily a comment on how such a tragedy can be avoided in the future.

Tsunami waves can hit within minutes or many hours, it's just a factor of how far away the coastline is. They travel fast but slow down before they hit. In today's event it was around 30 minutes after the Indonesian quake before Thailand was hit and several hours before India and Srilanka were hit. Plenty of time for a warning.

Tsunamis only come from strong earthquakes. It only takes a few minutes for scientists around the world to know that a strong earthquake has occurred. Then those people within a circle of coastline away from the epicenter can be warned with a siren. This is how its done in the Pacific. It doesn't require the cooperation of the Indonesian govenment either since seismic data is available globally.

Yes it's true that many times there are earthquakes without tsunamis. But what's the harm in a few false alarms every year? The use of other devices such tide gauges can refine the system further.

The simplest preventative measure is to educate people that suddenly receding waters on the beach means great danger. This is true 100% of the time I believe!

Tsunamis are rare in this part of the world but they certainly are not unknown. When Cracatoa exploded in the 19th century there was even greater disaster. That was a volcano not an earthquake, but it's true that authorities have been a little complacent about the danger of tsunamis. There is hardly reason to to blame anyone, but that does NOT negate the fact that some aspects of this tragedy can be prevented in the future.

The quake in the sea off Antartica and felt in Tasmania on Christmas eve was I believe an 8.1 on the richter scale.....a big quake by any standard....no Tsunami occured from that quake....now to put your suggestion in perspective.....an 8.5 quake off the coast about 400 miles from the American coast....would you evacuate every city within a 600 mile radius because a tsunami may occur....I think not.

The strength and the occurance of a tsunami has less to do with the strength of a quake but rather the ever changing sea floor.....many quakes produce tsunami's but some just peter out because of the conditions....Tsunami's may appear as a large swell out to sea....but as the water depth becomes less and all that water is compacted into a smaller area....then the "wave" builds in speed and intensity....watch a swell turn into a breaking wave...that is a mini tsunami...Look at the power generated in its final moments as it hits the beach. Now magnify that many times over.

The time from when that swell becomes a destructive force sometimes can be measured in seconds not minutes and not hours.....sure from the time of the quake maybe hours.....but from detection to hit is usually not that long.

[KronbergTH]

Have somebody any info about Railay Beach in Krabi??? All lines are down, no contact at all. Many famlies are affraid. I am going to Krabi first in the morning.

What ever, send now to [email protected]

Regards, Robert

[gburns57au]

About 45 minutes ago ITV reported an official death toll for Thailand from a center whose name I did not catch. It was reported by province, Satul, Krabit, Phuket, etc., but the total was 279 dead. Injured totaled over a thousand. Sadly I am sure it will be much higher as many people are missing and will end up on the first list.

One place NOT to check in the event of breaking news is the Bangkok Post Web site. Nothing--all day. I wonder if the print edition will report it tomorrow? Was once a good paper. At the Nation Web site someone was apparently awake as they have coverage.

Bkk Post is a daily paper...this occured after they went to print...watch tomorrows headlines. The website is merely a reproduction of their paper.

[CDB]

In fact it is not difficult nor terribly expensive to set up a tsunami warning system -- as already exists in the Pacific.

I don't know why some strange people consider this blaming someone; it's primarily a comment on how such a tragedy can be avoided in the future.

Tsunami waves can hit within minutes or many hours, it's just a factor of how far away the coastline is. They travel fast but slow down before they hit. In today's event it was around 30 minutes after the Indonesian quake before Thailand was hit and several hours before India and Srilanka were hit. Plenty of time for a warning.

Tsunamis only come from strong earthquakes. It only takes a few minutes for scientists around the world to know that a strong earthquake has occurred. Then those people within a circle of coastline away from the epicenter can be warned with a siren. This is how its done in the Pacific. It doesn't require the cooperation of the Indonesian govenment either since seismic data is available globally.

Yes it's true that many times there are earthquakes without tsunamis. But what's the harm in a few false alarms every year? The use of other devices such tide gauges can refine the system further.

The simplest preventative measure is to educate people that suddenly receding waters on the beach means great danger. This is true 100% of the time I believe!

Tsunamis are rare in this part of the world but they certainly are not unknown. When Cracatoa exploded in the 19th century there was even greater disaster. That was a volcano not an earthquake, but it's true that authorities have been a little complacent about the danger of tsunamis. There is hardly reason to to blame anyone, but that does NOT negate the fact that some aspects of this tragedy can be prevented in the future.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The quake in the sea off Antartica and felt in Tasmania on Christmas eve was I believe an 8.1 on the richter scale.....a big quake by any standard....no Tsunami occured from that quake....now to put your suggestion in perspective.....an 8.5 quake off the coast about 400 miles from the American coast....would you evacuate every city within a 600 mile radius because a tsunami may occur....I think not.

The strength and the occurance of a tsunami has less to do with the strength of a quake but rather the ever changing sea floor.....many quakes produce tsunami's but some just peter out because of the conditions....Tsunami's may appear as a large swell out to sea....but as the water depth becomes less and all that water is compacted into a smaller area....then the "wave" builds in speed and intensity....watch a swell turn into a breaking wave...that is a mini tsunami...Look at the power generated in its final moments as it hits the beach. Now magnify that many times over.

The time from when that swell becomes a destructive force sometimes can be measured in seconds not minutes and not hours.....sure from the time of the quake maybe hours.....but from detection to hit is usually not that long.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you read the earlier posts you'll see that the earthquake off Antratica was a different type -- one that does not cause tsunamis. Also there were not many heavily populated areas in its radius of influence.

Yes you are right that many conditions are factors in the development of a tsunami, but what's wrong with a few false warnings? And it's not just any seismic activity -- it really has to be a STRONG quake to produce widespread destructive tsunamis.

And it often does take HOURS from first detection to impact -- as in the Chilean earthquake that affected Japan and also as in India today.

[n7zrd]

I'm currently living in the Golden Triangle, far far from the disaster HOWEVER at 8:45am we all felt "a/the" quake all the way up here!

All my strength and sympathies to those in the affected areas.

Any news on Khoa Lak?

[Tornado]

I just heard that the Seychelles has also been badly damaged.

[Ajarn]

The quake in the sea off Antartica and felt in Tasmania on Christmas eve was I believe an 8.1 on the richter scale.....a big quake by any standard....no Tsunami occured from that quake....now to put your suggestion in perspective.....an 8.5 quake off the coast about 400 miles from the American coast....would you evacuate every city within a 600 mile radius because a tsunami may occur....I think not.

The strength and the occurance of a tsunami has less to do with the strength of a quake but rather the ever changing sea floor.....many quakes produce tsunami's but some just peter out because of the conditions....Tsunami's may appear as a large swell out to sea....but as the water depth becomes less and all that water is compacted into a smaller area....then the "wave" builds in speed and intensity....watch a swell turn into a breaking wave...that is a mini tsunami...Look at the power generated in its final moments as it hits the beach.  Now magnify that many times over.

The time from when that swell becomes a destructive force sometimes can be measured in seconds not minutes and not hours.....sure from the time of the quake maybe hours.....but from detection to hit is usually not that long.

Great description, gburns. I was watching BBC a few moments ago, and they had some footage, from a couple of areas, of the last few seconds of some swells before rising and forming into a wave, breaking, then moving VERY fast and forcefully... Easy to see how it would catch one off-guard.

[tgf7]

Hi,

has anyone heard of the extent of damage to Krabi (Ao Nang and Railey Beach)???

I have friends who work in the resorts.

Thanks

[CDB]

The quake in the sea off Antartica and felt in Tasmania on Christmas eve was I believe an 8.1 on the richter scale.....a big quake by any standard....no Tsunami occured from that quake....now to put your suggestion in perspective.....an 8.5 quake off the coast about 400 miles from the American coast....would you evacuate every city within a 600 mile radius because a tsunami may occur....I think not.

The strength and the occurance of a tsunami has less to do with the strength of a quake but rather the ever changing sea floor.....many quakes produce tsunami's but some just peter out because of the conditions....Tsunami's may appear as a large swell out to sea....but as the water depth becomes less and all that water is compacted into a smaller area....then the "wave" builds in speed and intensity....watch a swell turn into a breaking wave...that is a mini tsunami...Look at the power generated in its final moments as it hits the beach.  Now magnify that many times over.

The time from when that swell becomes a destructive force sometimes can be measured in seconds not minutes and not hours.....sure from the time of the quake maybe hours.....but from detection to hit is usually not that long.

Great description, gburns. I was watching BBC a few moments ago, and they had some footage, from a couple of areas, of the last few seconds of some swells before rising and forming into a wave, breaking, then moving VERY fast and forcefully... Easy to see how it would catch one off-guard.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And preceding this swell was a rapid recession of the waterline by several hundred meters in only a few seconds. Easy to see that if if you were educated about the warning signs you would have had time to get out of the way.

If you were still watching BBC world you'll have seen their item about how it was up to three hours between the earthquake and some tsunami strikes, and that a warning system like the one in the Pacific would likely have helped...

[Tornado]

How long is this stupid bickering going to go on? come on guys!

Thaksin has now arrived as well as the British Ambassador. The army has also been deployed.

[oz457]

Hi,

has anyone heard of the extent of damage to Krabi (Ao Nang and Railey Beach)???

I have friends who work in the resorts.

Thanks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi,

my friend his girlfriend contacted the resort where she was working before in Krabi. It seems to be as devastated as Phuket.

I heard a report of a man who just got into his boat and saw everything happening.

I'd like to ask if anybody has any information from the islands of Kho Lipe and Kho Tarutao? Have these islands been affected as well?

[gburns57au]

If you read the earlier posts you'll see that the earthquake off Antratica was a different type -- one that does not cause tsunamis. Also there were not many heavily populated areas in its radius of influence.

Yes you are right that many conditions are factors in the development of a tsunami, but what's wrong with a few false warnings? And it's not just any seismic activity -- it really has to be a STRONG quake to produce widespread destructive tsunamis.

And it often does take HOURS from first detection to impact -- as in the Chilean earthquake that affected Japan and also as in India today.

Contrary to what you say, a relatively small quake can create a tsunami capable of destruction.....depending on all of the conditions....it is not just strong ones that cause them.

As I stated....a tsunami can appear as a large swell in the vast ocean totally undetectable....from the time it hits shallow waters it changes from a swell to wave...usually this is because shallow water is near a landfall...therefore it it hard to detect a tsunami until it is near a coastline....from that time it changes from a swell to a "wave" there is little warning....and with the increase in speed and intensity...very little time for an evacuation.

Any quake in the ocean, will change the water around it....its called the Ripple Effect....whether a tsunami is created depends on other facters...many of them geological.....when a tsunami is a large swell...it collects water as it goes...the further it travels the more it collects....which is why although India and Sri Lanka were hit later the reported size of the waves was twice that of Thailands waves.

[igotworms]

From the Globe and Mail:

On Phi Phi island — where "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed — 200 bungalows at two resorts were swept out to sea.

"I am afraid that there will be a high figure of foreigners missing in the sea and also my staff," said Chan Marongtaechar, owner of the PP Princess Resort and PP Charlie Beach Resort.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto.../International/

[bobrcb]

My wife on the east coast of the gulf didn't even know anything had happened until this afternoon when she gave me a call.

bobrcb, no need to worry there mate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[gburns57au]

How long is this stupid bickering going to go on? come on guys! 

Thaksin has now arrived as well as the British Ambassador. The army has also been deployed.

Yes you are right......

I guess basic physics escapes some people.....

[bobrcb]

Tukyleith

Many thanks for your response. It was only a few weeks back that I was monitoring the cyclone from the Philippines, which fizzled out close to the coast.

Bobrcb

My wife on the east coast of the gulf didn't even know anything had happened until this afternoon when she gave me a call.

bobrcb, no need to worry there mate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Johpa]

And preceding this swell was a rapid recession of the waterline by several hundred meters in only a few seconds. Easy to see that if if you were educated about the warning signs you would have had time to get out of the way.

If you were still watching BBC world you'll have seen their item about how it was up to three hours between the earthquake and some tsunami strikes, and that a warning system like the one in the Pacific would likely have helped...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only those of us who grew up along the Pacific Ocean coast line are probably taught the signs of a tsunami in school. I doubt many of the vacationing Europeans or local Thais, regardless of education level, had any idea what the rapidly receding coastal waters implied. I hope this little tidbit of information may now find its way into the curriculum of the regions schools.

The US West Coast, Hawaii and Japan all have a coordinated tsunami warning system in place. I do not believe there is another system in place elsewhere. Considering the ever rising death toll and the devastating economic impact this will have on the entire region, I would suspect that authorities may install some sort of poor mans warning system in coastal areas, such as sirens, that will be sounded after a large magnitude earthquake is detected.

[spog]

Is there anything we can do to help? Like volunteer work of any kind?

I'm not in one of the affected areas and though I'd be happy to travel to help, I can't help but think that another Farang would just get in the way.

[qualtrough]

"Bkk Post is a daily paper...this occured after they went to print...watch tomorrows headlines. The website is merely a reproduction of their paper. "

Sorry, but that excuse doesn't wash. Most online daily papers that I am aware of carry breaking news. The Nation managed to do it, so did Thai Rath to a limited extent. For an event of this magnitude it is pretty lame that nobody at the BKK Post Web site thought to put out some news since that is one of the places that those outside (or even inside) the country might check.

[chuchok]

The NZ Herald would like to speak to any New Zealanders affected by the earthquake or the tsunamis. You can contact them by email: [email protected]

Those concerned about New Zealand relatives in countries affected by the disasters can call the after-hours number for consular enquiries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: +64 4 439-8000.

[Pak Chong]

I remember the old scare stories about a tsunami coming to Phuket one day too. I wonder who started it and why it went away. Especially when you look at those tectonic plates running in an arc through the Nicobars and Andamans. All the after shocks have run through there. I have to say it could have been far worse for Thailand too. Look at Sri Lanka....

[thaiwing]

The british Foreign Office in London has been manned to assist anyone with queries ..family - england and thailand

number is 442070080000

[mowlem]

A couple of years back, a Tsunami warning was given for Hawaii, by the US government, and guess what.......several hundred people went TO the beaches to watch it come in.

Fortunately it was a false alarm.

Are the hotel websites giving lists of holiday makers, who are reportng in OK?

Sympathies to all who are trying to find loved ones, and to the families of those who have died.