Thaksin Invests In Own Tsunami Warning System

[george]

Thailand to go ahead with its own tsunami warning system: PM Thaksin

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will press ahead with its own tsunami warning system, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Monday, after a regional meeting snubbed his country's offer to host a network for the Indian Ocean.

"We don't care whether other countries cooperate or not. We will go ahead and we are ready to invest, even if we are the only country involved," he told reporters.

"We have to do it to protect the lives of Thais and tourists," he added.

Thaksin spoke two days after a regional meeting on the tsunami-hit island agreed to create an interlinked system of regional warning systems, instead of accepting Thailand's proposal to build a system for the entire Indian Ocean at the Bangkok-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre.

The plan aims to avoid a repeat of the December 26 tragedy, when more than 280,000 people died after an earthquake off Indonesia sent tsunamis crashing into 11 nations.

Thaksin said the first stage of the new Thai system could be running within two months, and could be completed within 18 months.

Thailand's system would link with existing warning systems for the Pacific Ocean and an eventual system in India, Thaksin said.

The premier also said the government would create school courses to teach students about the dangers of tsunamis.

Ministers from 43 countries - those ravaged by the tsunamis as well as donors - agreed at the weekend to establish a warning system by mid-2006.

The countries agreed for the system to be developed under the auspices of the UN's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), which oversees the Pacific Ocean early warning system already in place.

The IOC will hold its first regional coordination meeting March 3 to 8 in Paris.

-- AFP 2005-01-31

[Erwin1011]

a shark smells blood

[DaveYo]

It is not a surprise to me to read this. My guess is the other countries don't trust Thailand to be able to put out warnings of any sort since the Thai people usually snub warnings for the most part, and are very much indeed slow to respond in any appropriate manner and of course the way politics play as of their roles in Thailand.

These other countries need to find someone whom they can trust that will issue a warning instead of going up some tree and use binocs to check if such is true or not. By then it will be way too much too late.

A Tsunami wave basically travels underwater, and its speed is astonishing indeed!!! For example say the wave starts outwards from Japan area towards the USA coastline. That wave will reach USA within a few hours. About as fast as the Concorde jet. Another way for you to see its speed as a miniature model. Go to some small pond that is still. Drop a stone at its middle, and then watch how fast that wave comes to you. What you see at the top coming, the wave underneath it is way ahead of the visual wave.

With over 280,000 DEAD, the other countries don't want to have someone who will be dickering whether or not to issue out an alarm no matter how small the quake is.

My two cents worth

Daveyo

[britmaveric]

I wonder if that includes the building of towers to watch for waves coming in???

[danone]

thaksinism pure

[Jack Jones]

Closing the gate after the horse has bolted.

Should be ready for the next one that hits in 50 years time.

[IsaanAlex]

Why don't these clowns just pay a Western nation to do it for them.

We really are the only ones competent enough to build and moniter such a system; they just have to promise to pick up the phone when we call and/or run for the hills when they hear the alarms go off.

Even that will be a stretch.

IA

[astral]

Closing the gate after the horse has bolted.

Should be ready for the next one that hits in 50 years time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In 50 years the system will be so discredited by test runs that no-one will take any notice.

It will probably be manned by men from the Ministry of InActive Posts.

All the equipment will have been cannibalised to keep the last Navy jet flying

from the floating hotel called an aircraft carrier.

[frumau]

Well we'll see which system will hold. The IOC's one or the Thai's... (-:

[Dove]

Now can aTsunami warning system mean more business for Shinsat- A satellite company owned by you know who?

[Maejo Man]

"We don't care whether other countries cooperate or not. We will go ahead and we are ready to invest, even if we are the only country involved," he told reporters.

Having already rejected out of hand the offer of two countries to establish an early warning system, he now goes off, and says it will be operational in part inside two months. Does he have a system in mind? Has he "borrowed" a system from somewhere? Is it just a "bells and whistles" system? Who will build the sophisticated electronic sensors for this system? Lastly who will be responsible for monitoring this new system? Surely the jobs will be given to the sleeping guards that lurk at the end of your local moo bahn!

This is Thaksin at his very best, really hard to top this effort...........

[mr_lob]

i agree entirely with Daveyo - i would'nt trust the Thais to put out a sufficient warning. It does need all the countries in the region to come together....

Toxin seems to be acting like a bit of a kid.

[mr_lob]

Now can aTsunami warning system mean more business for Shinsat- A satellite company owned by you know who?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The system involves a tin can, twenty kilometers of string with 3 meters of slack and a bell from a budgie cage. Every time a wave of 3 meters or more rings the bell they will know a tsunami 'might' be on the way... Time enough to make sure he and family are up to the third floor. For which the satelite company will charge $3,000,000

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL...u mean they're not gonna use any blue pipe?

[Ocker717]

Now can aTsunami warning system mean more business for Shinsat- A satellite company owned by you know who?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well..well...well ! Surprise surprise!

A good warning system does depend on a satellite system.

What better way to keep the bread buttered on both sides with the family, relatives, cronies, drivers and maids dripping in gold?

An independent body/council could shatter that dream....

[The_Moog]

SMS text messages are the way in which a telecom company could become involved in the mass distribution of warning information.

Thaksin is just AIS though, so it would require rivals Orange and DTAC to kneel before him, and suckle on his proverbial teat.

[eljeque]

If Singapore were to build it and monitor it, who here would trust it? I, for one, would trust it entirely.

[Bonkers]

I find it very sad to yet again see expatriates bemoaning their host country. So what if Thaksin's holding company is utilised to provide the linkages? Would you really care if you were facing an impending tsunami where or how the alert was raised? How does this affect your comfortable life?

To the hoteliers, business owners (big and small), fishermen and the sunburnt tourist, this is what is needed.

Most of the posts in here are condescending and in most part, also ignorant of the facts. I suggest you read the Hindustan or Jakarta Post on-line to see how those two 'bickering' nations were putting forward their rationalisation to host the alert system.

Some of you need to get out and occupy your time more instead of belittling everything you come across here. Give Thailand and its people a break from your crass comments. I can imagine your indignation if you came across posts such as some of these in your home country. You'd be demanding blood and the immediate deportation of these people if they're not happy with the way things run.

For a taste closer to your adopted home, try making comments like these in Singapore.

Be grateful that you can get away with it here, but these comments some of you make just add to the growing notion of the 'ugly farang' amongst the locals.

All the more so on such a serious topic which has affected the lives and livelihoods of thousands in Thailand alone.

[mr_lob]

I find it very sad to yet again see expatriates bemoaning their host country. So what if Thaksin's holding company is utilised to provide the linkages? Would you really care if you were facing an impending tsunami where or how the alert was raised? How does this affect your comfortable life?

To the hoteliers, business owners (big and small), fishermen and the sunburnt tourist, this is what is needed.

Most of the posts in here are condescending and in most part, also ignorant of the facts. I suggest you read the Hindustan or Jakarta Post on-line to see how those two 'bickering' nations were putting forward their rationalisation to host the alert system.

Some of you need to get out and occupy your time more instead of belittling everything you come across here. Give Thailand and its people a break from your crass comments. I can imagine your indignation if you came across posts such as some of these in your home country. You'd be demanding blood and the immediate deportation of these people if they're not happy with the way things run.

For a taste closer to your adopted home, try making comments like these in Singapore.

Be grateful that you can get away with it here, but these comments some of you make just add to the growing notion of the 'ugly farang' amongst the locals.

All the more so on such a serious topic which has affected the lives and livelihoods of thousands in Thailand alone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

whooooooaa!! hold your horses, newbie. What we are saying is that a combined-effort Tsunami warning system will be much more effective than a solitary Thai one. Thaksin will find a way to profit from it (yes, he is that twisted).

I myself have been left jobless after the Tsunami and would welcome any effective warning against another natural disaster like Dec 26th, but it does need to be a combined effort. Thaksin is trying to look after his own and has closed the doors on the surrounding countries after he did'nt get his own way...which makes one question, why is he a member of APEC etc...

[Bonkers]

"For example say the wave starts outwards from Japan area towards the USA coastline. That wave will reach USA within a few hours. About as fast as the Concorde jet. "

Oh dear It travels at Mach2?!

[Bonkers]

I find it very sad to yet again see expatriates bemoaning their host country. So what if Thaksin's holding company is utilised to provide the linkages? Would you really care if you were facing an impending tsunami where or how the alert was raised? How does this affect your comfortable life?

To the hoteliers, business owners (big and small), fishermen and the sunburnt tourist, this is what is needed.

Most of the posts in here are condescending and in most part, also ignorant of the facts. I suggest you read the Hindustan or Jakarta Post on-line to see how those two 'bickering' nations were putting forward their rationalisation to host the alert system.

Some of you need to get out and occupy your time more instead of belittling everything you come across here. Give Thailand and its people a break from your crass comments. I can imagine your indignation if you came across posts such as some of these in your home country. You'd be demanding blood and the immediate deportation of these people if they're not happy with the way things run.

For a taste closer to your adopted home, try making comments like these in Singapore.

Be grateful that you can get away with it here, but these comments some of you make just add to the growing notion of the 'ugly farang' amongst the locals.

All the more so on such a serious topic which has affected the lives and livelihoods of thousands in Thailand alone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

whooooooaa!! hold your horses, newbie. What we are saying is that a combined-effort Tsunami warning system will be much more effective than a solitary Thai one. Thaksin will find a way to profit from it (yes, he is that twisted).

I myself have been left jobless after the Tsunami and would welcome any effective warning against another natural disaster like Dec 26th, but it does need to be a combined effort. Thaksin is trying to look after his own and has closed the doors on the surrounding countries after he did'nt get his own way...which makes one question, why is he a member of APEC etc...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Granted. But it is the tone of some of the posts - and not just here on this topic. The portrayal of Thais (read Asians in most cases) as lazy, self-serving people is ignorant and downright insulting in the most part.

For the record, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are not members of APEC, and at best, hold observor status only. Each nation has tried to take the role of 'de-facto' alert HQ. If Thaksin doesn't get his way, and decides this is the quickest way to protect his charges - and visitors - then bully for him. If the thing works and protects you and your loved ones, I doubt anyone would care just how 'twisted' he might be.

[Welsh John]

If you read the papers you might have noticed it was the King who raised the point first about an early warning system and mention was also made that the Americans & Japanese were tops in this type of system.

I got the impression that Thaksin was TOLD to get on with the installation and get the best up to date technology.

[lukamar]

I agree with Bonkers, the newbie. I just got back from our vacation in Hawaii, there are concerns with their system as well. The day before the Tsunami none of you gave a second thought about a system, or if you did you did not post it here. When I left you all were bitching and complaining about not having a warning system. Now I'm back and you are all bitching and complaining about the government installing one. Who cares who monitors it or who profits from it as long as it gets built.

A lot of you really have a low regard for your Thai hosts as Bonkers said.

[britmaveric]

I think the point is you need to do it right not half arsed. It won't do anyone any good if you put a bad system in place.

[manjara]

Perhaps once you have lived here a while, you begin to get tired of all the 'half-arsed' jobs you see around the place. The empty promises of politicians, with ridiculous half-formed notions being aired as policy, and then promptly swept under the carpet.

Of course, other countries, including our own 'mother nations' have similar 'c***-ups' but they are not so blatant and there is not the 'doublethink' that exists in Thailand (ok, maybe there is in some people, George!)

My wife thinks Thaksin's the best thing since sliced bread, won't hear a word against him! I hope he is as jai-dee as Thais seem to think, but I suspect that his sycophants and cronies will benefit more than serendipitously by the installation of a Thai tsunami warning system.

I love the thai people, but I hate doing business here!

[manjara]

P.S. that was a reply to 'Bonkers',

[Crushdepth]

Why don't these clowns just pay a Western nation to do it for them.

We really are the only ones competent enough to build and moniter such a system

Ever heard of Japan? Actually the local groups working on this are pretty ###### competent, and they have plenty of international cooperation to draw on. I think its in pretty good hands.

[ChrisP]

Bonkers..

I love the Thai people very much..

But they are - self-admittedly - a lazy people. They always look for the easy way... Many of them have admitted that to me... and there are MANY examples.

However, I don't lump them into "ALL Asians are lazy.." Many other asian countries are VERY industrious.. so much so it's a little scary!

ChrisP

[Abandon]

"For example say the wave starts outwards from Japan area towards the USA coastline.  That wave will reach USA within a few hours.  About  as fast as the Concorde jet. "

Oh dear  It travels at Mach2?!

They can't even get off the runway these days.

If any of you have seen the Equinox special "The Wave that Shook the World" you'll know that there is a monitoring system in place for the Pacific, that was trying to warn Sri Lanka of the wave even before it hit. And that is using seizmic detectors in the Pacific. They successfully warned Kenya and prevented any deaths there even though the wave hit pretty big in some places. (Anyone interested in the Equinox documentary will find it in the Thai file sharing hub (see internet forum)) Any detectors that are placed by any nation will plug in, probably via the internet, to that control center which already shares its information in real time with any other such center. This means that instruments do not need to be monitored by any one nation alone and the Thai warning system would also share its readings with other siezmic monitoring systems world wide. Such would also know instantly even if a monitoring machine was down.

I don't see that placing or monitoring the sensors a problem since the information is shared in real time in centres all over the world.

2 problems remain. Will the information be shared via a TRUE internet connection?

The other problem is who will be warned if a tsunami is detected. Who do they call? Would the police be ready to spring into action and clear the coastline? Would hotel and bar owners be ready and willing to leave their premises. Would people trust emergency radio channels broadcasting warnings. I'm sure Taksins sensors would work ok, and be monitored internationally - it is just the question of who they would call if a wave was detected.

[frozenpeas42]

wow...some pretty patronising replies coming out of people here!

if u have such distdain for the thai people then why don't u just leave? Or would u miss ur BG's and cheap fags?

"Thais? ###### lazy bastards, obviously, what with their hospitals and infastructure etc...they should obviously just get a western country to build it for them coz westerners are inherently better in every way..."

I don't really understand how u can call people who work incredibly long hours in jobs that we wouldnt dream of doing ourselves lazy...doesnt add up to me.

[RDN]

....Would the police be ready to spring into action and clear the coastline? ....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Didn't they clear the beaches (of policemen) on Dec 26th? Or was that just a rumour?