Tsunami Warning Critic To Launch New System

[webfact]

Tsunami warning critic to launch new system

Phuket has 19 warning of the 200 tsunami warning towers

that were set up by the system Dr Smith devised.

This one is one of three along Patong Beach.

PHUKET CITY: Former National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) director and a critic of the current warning system's administration plans to launch an additional disaster warning system with the aim of better informing the public of impending disasters.

The man behind the new warning system, Dr Smith Dharmasaroja, is preparing to launch the 'parallel' national tsunami warning system on December 26, the fifth anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.

Dr Smith said the foundation has the same objectives that the NDWC was founded upon.

The new foundation will have as its deputy board chairman former Irrigation Department director Pramoj Maiklad.

Mr Pramoj, a retired water supply expert, is well known to Thais as the man seen accompanying HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on numerous inspection tours of irrigation and water supply projects around the country.

The new foundation will be called the Foundation for National Disaster Warning System of Thailand (NDWST) and would use volunteer technical experts and community radio stations to help warn the public of impending disasters, Dr Smith said.

Dr Smith is a harsh critic of the current work and administration of the NDWC, which is now under the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.

He is currently in a legal battle with the NDWC over allegations previously made about their work, he said.

As head of the Meteorological Department ten years before the 2004 disaster, Dr Smith was ignored and ridiculed for warning of the dangers of a tsunami along Thailand's coastline.

After the disaster, he was appointed by then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to head up the NDWC, which was initially under the Prime Minister's Office.

A parallel network is required to protect people in risk areas from a variety of disasters including landslides, storm surges and flooding, as well as tsunamis, he said.

Group Captain Somsak Khaosuwan, director of the NDWC's warning system management team, said he was aware of Dr Smith's plan.

The NDWC is willing to work with Dr Smith's foundation after its launch, he said.

"We are happy to exchange information with any group that is working for the public benefit," he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009/11/20

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[neverdie]

As head of the Meteorological Department ten years before the 2004 disaster, Dr Smith was ignored and ridiculed for warning of the dangers of a tsunami along Thailand's coastline.

Why doesnt that surprise me?

[LivinLOS]

volunteer technical experts and community radio stations to help warn the public of impending disasters, Dr Smith said.

Why is it they cant just SMS every phone ?? Or even have a sign up tsunami alert service ??

Surely thats the fastest and most reliable way.

[thefalang]

Why doesn't Thailand just "splurge" and replace the battery in the tsunami detection buoy that was given to Thailand by the US in 2006? It was the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) that was responsible for maintaining the buoy to begin with and they failed to replace the battery after it's useful life. The buoy is now inoperable. Am I missing something here???

Please refer to Thaivisa article:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tsunami-Warn...ad-t287615.html

"The battery required is not expensive, but the mission to replace it would require a budget of at least 10 million baht, Mr Chotenarin (head of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket Office) said."

I could arrange, for 5 million baht, replacement of the battery for them and they can save "at least" 5 million baht.