Tsunami Warning Issued For Thai Coastal Provinces Following 8.9-Scale Quake In Indonesia

[webfact]

RT @tulsathit: RT @BBCWorld: US Pacific Tsunami Warning C lifts watch around Indian Ocean. Remains for India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives

[sirchai]

Do you know any people who're staying in Khao Lhak area now ? ( province Takua Pa)

Please warn them to leave this area, even when news are telling the opposite!

All houses in Baan Naam Khem were destroyed, the death toll seemed to be the highest in Thailand.

We've lost many friends in 2004 when the last tsunami hit Thailand.

Old memories came back reading this, let's hope it isn't a tsunami.

[GentlemanJim]

RT @RichardBarrow: WARNING: A tsunami 3-4 meters high may hit Phuket at 4:48pm & Phang Nga at 5pm - TR @Rawangpai

Bad enough, but pfffffffffffffffffffff Richard Barrow usually well informed?! More like 3 INCHES right now... Hope for the best!

Lets be fair here, all Richard is doing is sending what news bulletins are available. Would you rather be told 3 inches at the start then hit with a 3M wave two hours later?

[webfact]

Tsunami warning to be lifted for 6 Andaman provinces in Thailand, urged to continue to monitor advisory from local admin agencies. /TANN

RT @phuketgazette: that's the all clear - please be careful on the roads people may be a bit jittering http://bit.ly/fj9ZQo

[FangFerang]

What has happened? It is 8 PM and no new posts. 18:18 arroival time is two hours in the past. Makes me worry. Please let me know.

[webfact]

RT @ACSBKK: Thai National Dept Disaster Prevention & Mitigation reports that they have downgraded the Tsunami Warning to Monitoring only.

[GentlemanJim]

i live 3 minutes from aonang beach you can not hear the tsunami towers ,i felt the earth quake but didnt know about the warning untill my wife an children came home from there shop on the beach,,,the warning system in aonang is ridiculose ,the police in aonang asked my mum to help them to get the phallangs of the beach,,,,i lived here for 12 yrs somethin g has to be done ,,,as the crow flys i only live half a km from the beach an you cant hear the sirens ,,,but i have to say its much better than the last time,,,keeep up the good work thaivisa

Coconutter

You need to report the matter to the Governors office, failing that report it to your Embassy. The consular section will have an emergency desk and they will report it to the authorities for you.

[coconutter]

i have friends in khao lak there all on higher ground ,dont worry there safe ,talked to them 5 minutes ago everyone is evacuated to higher ground

[webfact]

US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre lifts tsunami watch in most areas of the Indian Ocean including Thailand 4 hours after the first quake struck /MCOT

[FangFerang]

That is serious relief--thanks all!

[GentlemanJim]

i have friends in khao lak there all on higher ground ,dont worry there safe ,talked to them 5 minutes ago everyone is evacuated to higher ground

Good. I mean the low volume on the Sirens, report it once Songkhran is over ! Cheers.

[MEL1]

Time to Karma please. The worst is over, according to top reports, experts, CNN and so forth. There won't be a flip movement between plates, even in after shocks. Any Tsunami will be a small flood on low lying ground. If your land is low, comparative to sea-level then please adjust your possible needs to salvage items from potential floods. As for a Tsunami in Thailand, the warning has dissipated to zero.

I don't post in haste now, but simply from experts. Go enjoy your normal routine..... no Tsunami will hit Thai areas.

-mel.

Enjoy your evening! (and let's be thankful that we didn't have a repeat of 2004... )

[webfact]

Thai National Disaster Warning Center to gradually issue notice to lift tsunami warning in coastal areas. /TANN

[george]

Phuket Airport not likely to operate until tomorrow. Thai Airways and Air Asia passenger asked to contact their ticket office /ThaiPBS

[draftvader]

I'm no expert, but isn't warning people in the Gulf of Thailand just generating unnecessary panic? They have just been talking about Pak Phanang in Nakhon Sri Thammerat.

If they had 'panicked' in 2004 lives would have been saved.

My mate would rather be on the roof of his hotel (where he is now) under a 'false alarm, than under 3 metres of water floating out to Jakarta !

Nobody can criticise anyone who went through the trauma of 2004 of over-reaction (if that is what it turns out to be) - life is too precious

Agree with you 100% I experienced 2004. Today brought back those vivid memories.

We're with you too. Myself, my wife, my sister, brother-in-law, step-brother, his wife and 3 kids were all in it together. Shocking, beautiful and devastating. We were the lucky ones on that day...so many others weren't. I'd rather spend the afternoon sat up a hill than die being dragged out to sea.

Thank you to everybody who has bought the news to us today and let's call it a "tsunami drill". The early warning system and social media worked and one day will save countless lives.

[Kudzu]

Stay high.

[ManInSurat]

I'm still in Lotus in Krabi City, after moving from Ao Nang, where I was too near the sea. The panic very much seems to be over and I have friends still in Ao Nang I've been phoning who have spoken to the relevant authorities and the warning has been lifted for the area and my eyes on the ground there say there was no receding of water nor any noticeable wave.

Aftershocks will still continue, weakening in force and almost definitely unable to be felt in Thailand.

I'm heading back to the beach now to see what's what.

According to all reports the fact that it was lateral movement along the fault line and not vertical meant far less damage than could have occured if it had been vertical.

I think the area definitely dodged a bullet this time.

I'm glad I evacuated when I did and that I've had a run-through for any potential occurnces in the future.

Hope anyone else affected is safe and well.

[MEL1]

And hats off to the TVisa moderators for keeping such a potential serious issue on track! There are times for joke inputs and sarcasm and whatever, but today wasn't one of them. Job well done!

-mel.

[daninthai]

I'm no expert, but isn't warning people in the Gulf of Thailand just generating unnecessary panic? They have just been talking about Pak Phanang in Nakhon Sri Thammerat.

If they had 'panicked' in 2004 lives would have been saved.

My mate would rather be on the roof of his hotel (where he is now) under a 'false alarm, than under 3 metres of water floating out to Jakarta !

Nobody can criticise anyone who went through the trauma of 2004 of over-reaction (if that is what it turns out to be) - life is too precious

I believe the 'unnecessary panic' being referred to is because there is no chance of any tsunami reaching the Gulf of Thailand from these earthquakes. The danger is on the western, Andaman coast as the waves would come from the region of the Indian Ocean. If there have been warnings for the east coast, that is unnecessary.

[coconutter]

ty gentleman jim for yr kind responce ,i wish i coulld do something about it ,but my wifes familly are the goverment here an i woulldnt want to rock the boat as we all know here we are stupid phallangs that dont know f,,, all

[daninthai]

[updated at 8:04 p.m - Thai time] The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has cancelled its tsunami watch in the Indian Ocean.

"Sea level readings now indicate that the threat had diminished or is over for most areas," the center said.

Edited April 11, 2012 by daninthai

[culicine]

photo of phuket beach not looking good !

If this was taken today it's quite disturbing. The water went out, and just rolled back in again? No tsunami at all? I would have been up in the hills had I seen the water recede that much. Had it receded this much in 2004? I was in my hotel room in Patong at the time of that tsunami, so didn't see how far the water went out that day.

[MEL1]

photo of phuket beach not looking good !

If this was taken today it's quite disturbing. The water went out, and just rolled back in again? No tsunami at all? I would have been up in the hills had I seen the water recede that much. Had it receded this much in 2004? I was in my hotel room in Patong at the time of that tsunami, so didn't see how far the water went out that day.

It went out over half a mile!

In seconds....... may I add.

Edited April 11, 2012 by MEL1

[gark]

What has happened? It is 8 PM and no new posts. 18:18 arroival time is two hours in the past. Makes me worry. Please let me know.

we are all still alive having braved the 4 inch tzunami

[Nisa]

Well hopefully everyone in the affected areas gets a good night sleep tonight and wakes up tomorrow with less frazzled nerves and can put the emotional memories of 2004, that this warning surely rekindled, back into their past memories.

FYI: I am in Bangkok but have got messages all evening from people around the globe asking about this. So, know there was a lot of people all over the world concerned.

[lungmi]

Thanks to Thaivisa!

I was intruded by village people this afternoon. They had phones from Phuket and other parts of Thailand about the tsunami.

Because I have an internet connection and I know to use it they asked for more information.

I showed them the Thavisa report, an english speaking friend translated my comments.

The big power of information, they went home to have a good sleep.

And I have "big face", master of internet.

[HeavyDrinker]

The huge thing here is that it seems that the warning systems and emergency measures set in place seem to be effective.

Thankfully nothing happened this time, yet it seems that casualties would have been minimal had there have been a disaster.

[LivinginKata]

Right now the Tsunami tower at Kata announcing the all clear in all languages.

[george]

UPDATE:

Tsunami warning lifted - no significant tsunami threat to Thailand

Full story:

http://www.thaivisa....at-to-thailand/

Thailand Live Wednesday 11 Apr 2012

The tsunami event - as it happened - minute by minute

http://www.thaivisa....ay-11-apr-2012/

[MEL1]

Great reporting, great follow up with live status from all, (part the odd joker), a successful warning system, serious updates for all concerned, and over all had it been a real Tsunami there would have been no loss of life like 2004. I call it a successful day in that people were ready, but more that nothing majorly eventful happened and there were no waves of consequence. It is success...... a rarity often endured in many places.

Good night folks, smile, and enjoy tomorrow and Song Kran.

-mel.