No reports of Thai casualties after quake: PM

By Jeerapong Prasertphonkrang.

The government said there were no reports of Thais being killed or injured in the disaster in Japan.

According to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, authorities were still trying to contact several hundred Thais - including 200 in hard-hit Sendai city, he said, although communication systems in affected areas remained problematic.

After a meeting yesterday on assis-tance to disaster victims in Japan at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Abhisit said the Office of Atoms for Peace would keep in contact with international organisations and Japan to follow news on the troubled nuclear plant and the situation on radiation so Thailand could implement appropriate measures accordingly. Many Thais in northeast Japan had moved south for safety reasons, while backup plans for accommodation and transport were set, he said.

Currently, there was no case of Thais wishing to return to Thailand being unable to do so, while a total of 3,000 Thais had returned home, he said.

Thailand continued helping Thai and Japanese people by sending relief and donations, he said, citing the third C130 aircraft, carrying supplies, that was due to leave for Japan last night - after two earlier flights.

Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said medical checks on Thais who returned from Japan found they were not affected by the radiation release and it was unnecessary for them to consume potassium-iodine pills. Ten out of about 1,000 Thais who returned from Japan on Friday sought medical check-ups at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

-- The Nation 2011-03-20

PM: Thailand´s continous help for japan

NUPPOL SUVANSOMBUT.

BANGKOK, 20 March 2011 (NNT)-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva gave a brief summary at a press conference over the relief efforts to help Japan cope with the aftermath of natural disasters, citing all sides' readiness and progress made so far.

Thai Ambassador to Japan H.E. Veerasak Futrakul revealed that the Embassy has been able to contact over 1,000 remaining Thai nationals in Japan after the tsunami had swept over Miyagi prefecture a week ago. The Thai Embassy still continues to locate the rest of Thai nationals but with difficulty due to damaged communication systems.

The Office of Atoms for Peace has been monitoring the radiation situation in Japan closely while planning to evacuate Thai people to the South of Japan, where it is safer, if the leakage escalates. The radiation level in Tokyo is still safe at present.

Thailand has continuously been providing dried food and money to help Japan get back on its feets. Some of the donations have been delivered to the quake-stricken nation already. The Thai Embassy in Japan has confirmed that it will be able to arrange a flight for Thai nationals who wish to return home, adding that no Thais have been reported dead so far.

-- NNT 2011-03-20

statistically there would be 3-4 thai casualties, but because the great majority of were in the tokyo area, which is reasonable safe, there is small probability that any of them has died.