Only time will tell if the millions of baht poured into the early warning system proves to be value for money.

I would suggest it is really a public relations exercise to assure tourists they can visit Phuket and have no fear of Dec 26th 2004 repeating itself.

Before you fly into a frenzy when was the last time Phuket was hit by a "T" now go back in history a short period 1998 Sissano a village in NEast PNG completely wiped off the map 5000+ poples lost their lives etc.

Point being no early warning sysytem installed (not a tourist town) no repeat "T" to date.

Once carried out a study on an airfield where all aircraft had been devasted by a massive storm (Oakey Aust) resultant recommendatiobn do nothing chances of a repeat did not justify the millions of $$ to install the suggested solution. (NB the solution would not prevent only reduce damage).

The FIRST Tsunami Warning Bulletin has just been issued. Note the CAPS are not mine, but a direct cut and paste.

FROM - [email protected]

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS

ISSUED AT 0521Z 14 MAY 2005

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ...

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 0505Z 14 MAY 2005

COORDINATES - 0.6 NORTH 98.3 EAST

LOCATION - NORTHERN SUMATERA INDONESIA

MAGNITUDE - 6.9

EVALUATION

A DESTRUCTIVE WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI THREAT DOES NOT EXIST BASED ON

HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DATA.

HOWEVER - THERE IS A VERY SMALL POSSIBILITY OF A LOCAL TSUNAMI THAT

COULD AFFECT COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A HUNDRED KILOMETERS

FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION NEAR THE

EPICENTER SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS POSSIBILITY.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING

CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR

THIS EVENT.