Phuket Tsunami Memorial Services Announced

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Phuket tsunami memorial services announced

A little girl takes part in tsunami memorial services in Mai Khao in 2005. File photo.

PHUKET CITY: Memorial services marking the fifth anniversary of the 2004 tsunami disaster will take place on December 26 at locations in Patong, Mai Khao and Kamala.

In Patong, a religious ceremony will take place at Loma Park on Patong Beach from 8am to 12pm, and again in the evening from 6pm to 7pm.

In Mai Khao, similar ceremonies will take place at Mai Khao cemetery from 9am to 12pm. The bodies of more than 1,000 non-Asian tsunami victims were moved to the cemetery after the disaster to aid in the identification and repatriation process.

In Kamala, a memorial ceremony will take place from 9am at the Tsunami Memorial Park, opposite the Prince Kamala Resort.

Details of the events were announced at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday morning.

In attendance were Phuket Vice Governor Smith Palawatwichai; Department of Disaster Prevention & Mitigaton – Phuket Office (DDPM-Phuket) chief San Jantharawong; Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Deputy Director Dr Wiwat Seetamanotch; and government officers from other related agencies.

December 26 has also been designated as National Disaster Prevention Day in Thailand.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009/12/16

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[NBT TV Phuket]

VDO at http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...hp?news_id=1277 or

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The Andaman coastal provinces plan 5th year of Tsunami memorial events.

Authorities and local governments in the Andaman coastal provinces in southern Thailand are to hold the 5th Tsunami commemorative events in different locations on December 26th this year. In Phuket, the Vice Governor Smith Palawatwichai called a meeting with related agencies and organization in preparation for the day. Emphasizing the respect for the victims and families plus simplicity, the commemorative events in Phuket were announced as follows: In Patong, a Buddhist religious ceremony will take place in the morning at the public park on the beach front at 8-12am including a condolence message from the Prime Minister to be read out. An exhibition on disaster risk reduction to educate members of the public will also be put on. In the evening the Provincial Administrative Organization joins hands with the Patong Municipality to hold a remembrance event with candle lit and floating lanterns released on the beach at 6-7 pm. In Mai Khao, the local government there is arranging a flower laying ceremony for families of victims from 46 nations. This is the site where more than 1,000 non-Asian tsunami victims’ bodies were kept for identification and repatriation process. In Kamala, multi-faith ceremonies comprising Buddhist, Sikh and Muslim will be arranged in the morning while the Christian ceremony will take place in the evening.

In Phang-Nga, the main locations for the commemorative events are at the small fishing village of Ban Namkem, the site where the police patrol boat TOR 813 washed ashore on Petchkasem Road, and the cemetery at Bang Maruan. Phang-Nga Governor Yiumsuriya Palusuk on Thursday held a meeting with related agencies in preparation for the remembrance event. He then announced that a 1,000 Buddhist monks alms presentation will take place at 6 am in front of Thakuapa police station, while memorial services will be arranged at the Tsunami memorial park in Ban Namkem with three faith ceremonies from 9 am. In the evening floating lanterns will be released at Ban Namkem. Another remembrance ceremony is to be held at 6 pm with interfaith ceremonies at the site where the police patrol boat was washed ashore by the tidal wave. Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit will preside over the candle lighting ceremony and release lanterns here. The police department will also hold a remembrance ceremony for the victims at Bang Maruan cemetery.

In Krabi the remembrance event will take place at Phi Phi Island. It’s arranged by the local government of Ao Nang.

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Phuket authority to organize an emergency medical service comprehensive exercise involving air transfer of disaster survivors at Phuket International Airport on December 25th.

Medical personnel, rescue and search team from 14 southern provinces of Thailand will be attending a training workshop in Phuket to learn about EMS – Emergency Medical Services management for Disaster Medical Assistant Teams or DMAT during December 22-24 before taking part in the comprehensive exercise on December 25th. The event is arranged as part of activities in recognition of Thailand National Day for Disaster Prevention which falls on December 26th, the day the tsunami hit the Indian Ocean in 2004. The participants are expected to enhance their skills to assist people with medical attention, transferal procedures and reduce risks of fatal cases. The Phuket International Airport’s multi-purpose hall will be designed as a staged care unit. The exercise is planned to simulate a Tsunami situation with some people stranded and an air transfer drill. All related personnel and Disaster Medical Assistant Teams are expected to take action at their full strength to test out preparedness for both personnel and equipment.

weekly Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) at 8.30am, & repeated on satellite C Band (usually net black) frequency 4134 Mhz at symbolate 2530, & repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 3.30pm, 7pm, 1.30am & 6.30am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, Friday 18th December 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews

[NBT TV Phuket]

We & the staff at Andaman News program would like to wish all our TV viewers, supporters and friends a very merry Christmas Day for the rest of today, especially those who had to work like us as we were on air this Friday morning and online as in related links below; we had news and interviews including 2 hotels who gave wonderful Christmas parties for underprivileged children, showing the true Christmas spirit.

Our staff also have to work tomorrow 26 December by helping international media to broadcast the 5th tsunami memorial ceremonies by our satellite across the world and we respectfully join all those who miss loved ones lost in the tsunami of 2004.

VDO at National News Bureau Public Relations Department

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The 5th year of Tsunami memorials will be held tomorrow

The Mai Khao cemetery or Tsunami Wall of Remembrance is one location where the 5th annual memorial services for Tsunami victims will take place on Saturday. This is the site where bodies of foreign victims were kept while awaiting identification. The local government of Mai Khao is now preparing the site for families and representatives from foreign embassies. The wall has been repainted to put up flags of 44 nations for the victims. An inter-faith ceremony will begin at 9 am with families and friends of the victims - Thais and foreigners are expected to attend. Mai Khao sub-district Administration President Sarawut Sasrikukam stressed that the wall of remembrance will be better maintained and redeveloped in a nice landscape. The Tsunami memorial services will also take place in Patong in the morning and evening, plus at Kamala in the morning. In Phang-Nga the main locations for the commemorative events are at the small fishing village of Ban Namkem, plus the site where the police boat TOR 813 washed ashore on Petchkasem road, and the cemetery at Bang Maruan. The local government in Kukkak of Thakuapa is working on landscaping at the site where the police patrol boat was washed ashore to prepare the location for a ceremony on Saturday. This group of Russian tourists also paid a visit to the site and appreciated that Thais host the ceremonies for families of victims. They said they are glad to visit the region at this time to coincide with the 5th year of Tsunami memorials. In Krabi a Tsunami memorial ceremony will take place at Phi Phi Island where around 800 people died from the tidal wave on December 26th 2004.

item-- 2--- Habitat for Humanity is still working with tsunami disaster victims

Five years after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, a new report shows how Habitat for Humanity has helped - and continues to help -- tens of thousands of families become stronger as they rebuild their homes and lives in tsunami-affected communities across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. On the 5th anniversary of the one of the worst natural disasters of modern times, Habitat for Humanity marks its longer-term commitment to rebuilding with the publication of a report entitled ‘Emerging Stronger: Five years after the Indian Ocean tsunami’. In this report, Habitat outlines the challenges faced and strategies used as the organization mobilized donors, partners, volunteers and supporters from across the world to undertake the long and complex task of providing permanent new homes for those in need. The report also looks at the impact of its work on individual families and communities. Habitat for Humanity post-tsunami reconstruction programs have assisted some 22,500 families in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand up to September 2009 and current plans should see this total rise to more than 25,000 in 2010. Former US President Jimmy Carter visited & helped inspire Habitat for Humanity’s Phuket tsunami housing project in Thachatchai fishing village, at the very northern end of the island in November 2006.

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Hotels held parties for children charities set up after tsunami:

1. Moevenpick hotel held a charity party for SOS Village Phuket children

Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket hosted their second fun-filled charity day on December 12th for around 70 local orphans and unprivileged children aged from seven to 13 years old from the SOS Childrens Village in KorKaew Phuket. The event was held from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, partly in the lush tropical garden with teams for shoe tower building and balloon tossing games, dances and singing, as well as at the resort's The Play Zone, Phuket's largest kids club. The day provided the children with an opportunity to have fun and try a number of games and activities that they may not have tried before. This was followed by a lunch party with generous portions of tasty western & Thai food; and then in return some of the children performed traditional Thai dances on stage. The day was rounded out by the resort with donations of goods from residents of the resort. Each child received an individual present as well as a surprise packet and nice goodies, as well as some candles the children learnt to make earlier. Somsak Apinanyanam, Director of SOS village expressed his gratitude and Hansruedi Frutiger, GM of Moevenpick Resort & Spa told us more about the aim and enjoyment of the charity day: Voice: *******

2. In a similar charitable event, we turn now to our interview with Franco Ferri, a Director at Phuket Sunshine Village or PSV home for children at Ko Sirey, when Indigo Pearl hotel, Nai Yang, held a charity Christmas lunch & magic show for PSV kids. PSV was funded by French Red Cross, is maintained by Lions Clubs & managed by Childwatch charities, but volunteers, donors & visitors are always welcome at PSV as Franco first tells us about his role and the Christmas event: voice ***

VDO on National News Bureau Public Relations Department

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weekly Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) at 8.30am, & repeated on satellite C Band (usually net black) frequency 4134 Mhz at symbolate 2530 at 1pm & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 3.30pm, 7pm, 1.30am & 6.30am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Friday 25th December 2009 & NNT : National News Bureau of Thailand & YouTube - AndamanNews's Channel

[JetsetBkk]

Did anyone go? Nice candles in the sand on the beach.

Pity the choir was so bad.