Thai Govt Well Prepared For Earthquakes, Urges Public Not To Panic

[ralphlsasser]

Now I am fxxxxing panicing. Iam Thai, I think, therefore I know everything. Make a big jelly and sit on it in case of earthquake.

I think you're right. You're a Thai.

Edited April 21, 2012 by ralphlsasser

[arrowsdawdle]

Now I am fxxxxing panicing. Iam Thai, I think, therefore I know everything. Make a big jelly and sit on it in case of earthquake.

I think you're right. You're a Thai.

Actually, it's not far off. One of the better places to be during a quake is on a waterbed. It absorbs a lot of the shock from a violent quake. Take it from the voice of experience.

[easybullet3]

really? is Japans earthquake warning system so good? when I used to live there, there was absolutely no warning EVER when there was an earthquake!!

the warning system in japan was when the building starts swaying!!

[whybother]

I'd bet $100 they are not even prepared for the next round of floods yet.

But there probably won't be the amount of rain that we had last year, so there won't be floods this year, and all the work they've done since last year will have been a huge success.

[geriatrickid]

Nothing prevents any of you nervous nellies from being prepared. Instead of expecting the government to take care of you, work on the basis that you will be on your own for a long time. How many of you have emergency supplies. or a contingency plan, or have even discussed what to do with your family? How many of you have taken a basic first aid or survival course? These are not things that the government can do for you. Even the emergency preparedness websites of western governments say the same thing as I just wrote. Do any of you have a meeting point or thought about how to contact your family members when the cell phones crash?

An emergency response starts with people taking responsibility for themselves and preparing. A great part of an effective emergency response relies on people behaving responsibly. I would expect many foreigners to run about in panic demanding that their national governments come and rescue them. Won't happen for days if it does. Have you registered with your embassies so that your governments know where to even find you?

[whybother]

Nothing prevents any of you nervous nellies from being prepared. Instead of expecting the government to take care of you, work on the basis that you will be on your own for a long time. How many of you have emergency supplies. or a contingency plan, or have even discussed what to do with your family? How many of you have taken a basic first aid or survival course? These are not things that the government can do for you. Even the emergency preparedness websites of western governments say the same thing as I just wrote. Do any of you have a meeting point or thought about how to contact your family members when the cell phones crash?

An emergency response starts with people taking responsibility for themselves and preparing. A great part of an effective emergency response relies on people behaving responsibly. I would expect many foreigners to run about in panic demanding that their national governments come and rescue them. Won't happen for days if it does. Have you registered with your embassies so that your governments know where to even find you?

I don't think anyone here expects the government to do anything for them if there is a disaster. The floods last year showed plenty of evidence of that.

[Soutpeel]

Nothing prevents any of you nervous nellies from being prepared. Instead of expecting the government to take care of you, work on the basis that you will be on your own for a long time. How many of you have emergency supplies. or a contingency plan, or have even discussed what to do with your family? How many of you have taken a basic first aid or survival course? These are not things that the government can do for you. Even the emergency preparedness websites of western governments say the same thing as I just wrote. Do any of you have a meeting point or thought about how to contact your family members when the cell phones crash?

An emergency response starts with people taking responsibility for themselves and preparing. A great part of an effective emergency response relies on people behaving responsibly. I would expect many foreigners to run about in panic demanding that their national governments come and rescue them. Won't happen for days if it does. Have you registered with your embassies so that your governments know where to even find you?

It appears you are so well prepared....so if you would be so kind as to publish your ERP on TV and the nervous nellies can use your ERP as a template to develop their own, think of it as a as being a good TV citizen

Edited April 22, 2012 by Soutpeel

[Bagwan]

Now I am fxxxxing panicing. Iam Thai, I think, therefore I know everything. Make a big jelly and sit on it in case of earthquake.

I think you're right. You're a Thai.

Actually, it's not far off. One of the better places to be during a quake is on a waterbed. It absorbs a lot of the shock from a violent quake. Take it from the voice of experience.

I do not believe in the efficacy of this advice. In my not unsubstantial experience of exchanging bodily fluids with members of the opposite sex I have found this to be quite to the contrary. Most of the ladies were quite vehement in their assertions that they felt that the Earth had moved.

[pimay11]

Nothing prevents any of you nervous nellies from being prepared. Instead of expecting the government to take care of you, work on the basis that you will be on your own for a long time. How many of you have emergency supplies. or a contingency plan, or have even discussed what to do with your family? How many of you have taken a basic first aid or survival course? These are not things that the government can do for you. Even the emergency preparedness websites of western governments say the same thing as I just wrote. Do any of you have a meeting point or thought about how to contact your family members when the cell phones crash?

An emergency response starts with people taking responsibility for themselves and preparing. A great part of an effective emergency response relies on people behaving responsibly. I would expect many foreigners to run about in panic demanding that their national governments come and rescue them. Won't happen for days if it does. Have you registered with your embassies so that your governments know where to even find you?

It appears you are so well prepared....so if you would be so kind as to publish your ERP on TV and the nervous nellies can use your ERP as a template to develop their own, think of it as a as being a good TV citizen

Just in case GK is remiss in his responsibilities to advise all the nervour nellies, below is my action plan (ERP) in case of an extended natural emergency. Feel free to copy or modify as required.

1. Power generator to run fridge, lights and tv with 100 liters of gas.

2. Enough bamboo to construct a temporary shelter.

3. Thirty cases of LEO.

4. Ten cases of water (for the wife).

5. Three cases of my friend Jack Daniels.

6. Ten cases of Mama noodles.

7. Five cases of toilet tissue (for me not the wife)

8. One case of soap.

[h90]

Nothing prevents any of you nervous nellies from being prepared. Instead of expecting the government to take care of you, work on the basis that you will be on your own for a long time. How many of you have emergency supplies. or a contingency plan, or have even discussed what to do with your family? How many of you have taken a basic first aid or survival course? These are not things that the government can do for you. Even the emergency preparedness websites of western governments say the same thing as I just wrote. Do any of you have a meeting point or thought about how to contact your family members when the cell phones crash?

An emergency response starts with people taking responsibility for themselves and preparing. A great part of an effective emergency response relies on people behaving responsibly. I would expect many foreigners to run about in panic demanding that their national governments come and rescue them. Won't happen for days if it does. Have you registered with your embassies so that your governments know where to even find you?

It appears you are so well prepared....so if you would be so kind as to publish your ERP on TV and the nervous nellies can use your ERP as a template to develop their own, think of it as a as being a good TV citizen

Just in case GK is remiss in his responsibilities to advise all the nervour nellies, below is my action plan (ERP) in case of an extended natural emergency. Feel free to copy or modify as required.

1. Power generator to run fridge, lights and tv with 100 liters of gas.

2. Enough bamboo to construct a temporary shelter.

3. Thirty cases of LEO.

4. Ten cases of water (for the wife).

5. Three cases of my friend Jack Daniels.

6. Ten cases of Mama noodles.

7. Five cases of toilet tissue (for me not the wife)

8. One case of soap.

You can replace the LEO with wodka, than you don't need the fridge, than you can safe the generator and the gasoline.

Only problem is that the wife can't see the soap operas in TV

[pimay11]

Nothing prevents any of you nervous nellies from being prepared. Instead of expecting the government to take care of you, work on the basis that you will be on your own for a long time. How many of you have emergency supplies. or a contingency plan, or have even discussed what to do with your family? How many of you have taken a basic first aid or survival course? These are not things that the government can do for you. Even the emergency preparedness websites of western governments say the same thing as I just wrote. Do any of you have a meeting point or thought about how to contact your family members when the cell phones crash?

An emergency response starts with people taking responsibility for themselves and preparing. A great part of an effective emergency response relies on people behaving responsibly. I would expect many foreigners to run about in panic demanding that their national governments come and rescue them. Won't happen for days if it does. Have you registered with your embassies so that your governments know where to even find you?

It appears you are so well prepared....so if you would be so kind as to publish your ERP on TV and the nervous nellies can use your ERP as a template to develop their own, think of it as a as being a good TV citizen

Just in case GK is remiss in his responsibilities to advise all the nervour nellies, below is my action plan (ERP) in case of an extended natural emergency. Feel free to copy or modify as required.

1. Power generator to run fridge, lights and tv with 100 liters of gas.

2. Enough bamboo to construct a temporary shelter.

3. Thirty cases of LEO.

4. Ten cases of water (for the wife).

5. Three cases of my friend Jack Daniels.

6. Ten cases of Mama noodles.

7. Five cases of toilet tissue (for me not the wife)

8. One case of soap.

You can replace the LEO with wodka, than you don't need the fridge, than you can safe the generator and the gasoline.

Only problem is that the wife can't see the soap operas in TV

No generator = no tv. No tv = no soap operas. No soap operas = no wife.

[whybother]

No generator = no tv. No tv = no soap operas. No soap operas = no wife.

That sounds like a good plan.

[ralphlsasser]

Nothing prevents any of you nervous nellies from being prepared. Instead of expecting the government to take care of you, work on the basis that you will be on your own for a long time. How many of you have emergency supplies. or a contingency plan, or have even discussed what to do with your family? How many of you have taken a basic first aid or survival course? These are not things that the government can do for you. Even the emergency preparedness websites of western governments say the same thing as I just wrote. Do any of you have a meeting point or thought about how to contact your family members when the cell phones crash?

An emergency response starts with people taking responsibility for themselves and preparing. A great part of an effective emergency response relies on people behaving responsibly. I would expect many foreigners to run about in panic demanding that their national governments come and rescue them. Won't happen for days if it does. Have you registered with your embassies so that your governments know where to even find you?

No need for disaster preparaness. Just go to the temple.

[dcutman]

If they want the public to remain calm, it might help to resort to facts and dispense with fiction. This whole piece is an example of feeding masses misinformation; talking down to the people as though they were uneducated and gullible, for short term gain that long term facts prove fallacious. This causes loss of credibility, loss of confidence.

Perhaps, the most egregious misinformation is the comment that the small quakes are a good thing because they release energy and reduce the possibility of a major quake. Experts would classify this as pure fiction. Sometimes there are foreshocks preceeding a devastating quake, as well as aftershocks. Sometimes volcanic eruption which is independent of plate slippage tension causes quakes. Regardless of whether it is plate pulling tension, plate compression squeezing, or lateral strike-slip, the occurance is no indication that major quake activity has been postponed.

He said it only takes two minutes to analyse a situation and a response could immediately be given to the public. How?

First of all, in two minutes most quakes are over and the damage is done. The 1994 Northridge quake in LA happened at 4:30a.m. and no analsys was even possible to begin in earnest until daylight and it was hours later before the facts became known. This is in the most advanced first world, earthquake prepared city in the world. Streets often become impassable. Power and water utilities can become compromised in the short term. Telephone service and broadcast communications can often be impaired in the short term.

This kind of comment above leads to false security and increases panic during the real deal when peoples' faith is unfulfilled and their reliance on authorities to save them proves to be misplaced. Over-promising and under-delivering is questionable disaster preparedness strategy.

He talks about early warning systems and evacuation plans. This may work for tsunamis and hurricanes, but earthquake alerts, such as laser plate migration monitoring are measured in seconds or tens of seconds; hardly enough time to evacuate. Evacuations are to get people out of the way of impending danger as in hurricanes or tsunamis. How do you evacuate people from the ground shaking when there is no realistic advance warning?

He talks about being prepared. Why have there been no media reports preparing people for what to do in a quake?

• nothing about installing structure occupancy monitors that SMS first responders to eliminate search time;
  
• nothing about securing heavy furniture and objects from toppling during a quake;
  
• nothing about adding additional bracing over your sleeping area;
  
• nothing about drop, cover, and hold procedures during a quake;
  
• nothing about never run out of a building during a quake;
  
• nothing about where to take cover in marginally reinforced no building code structures;
  
• nothing about knowing how to shut off gas, electricity, and water;
  
• nothing about what to do when driving and a quake hits;
  
• nothing about survival kits;
  
• nothing about rendezvous plans for families and companies;
  
• nothing about trained survivor and cadaver sniffing dogs to aid rescue efforts;
  
• and so much more.
  

He compares quake preparedness with floods and chooses to reassure people saying that they will be protected from quakes like they were from the floods. Not sure which people he is trying to reassure but people in Phuket may be satisfied that the government protected them from floods and that they should be confident based on the flood preparedness and how well the floods were handled.

Perhaps, there may be some cultural reasons for such empty reassurances (never mind factual inaccuracies) that put the general population off guard and at greater risk.

Not to mention, if you live in a house built of concrete and those little red bricks or or cement blocks (wich 99.9% of the concrete house walls are built from), and 100% of them are not reinforced with anything. Does not matter single story house or 50 story high rise all built the same. I would guess it would not take a very big quake and walls will be coming down. it already happens with just vertical loads and some vribration from street traffic, a couple people got killed last year from getting walls toppeling. I hope everybody sleeps at least as far as the walls are tall. Not sure what the government is going to do about that little issue in the future, god forbid a 5.8 or larger hits anywhere in Thailand.

Edited April 22, 2012 by dcutman

[dcutman]

really? is Japans earthquake warning system so good? when I used to live there, there was absolutely no warning EVER when there was an earthquake!!

the warning system in japan was when the building starts swaying!!

Exactly, thats what an earthquake warning system is. reports from people after the quake, "my house just shook wildly". I am guessing Thailands warning system is much more inferior. It will take hours if not days to dig all the people out from under little red bricks to figure out it was an earthquake.

[MEL1]

I think there's a few off the mark on this one, IMHO.

The likelihood of Thailand suffering a richter 6 is about the same as the UK......... like virtually zero.

A 3.1/3.2? California has on average 10 a day.

Even after the huge quake in '04 Thailand suffered little aftershocks of consequence.

Scaremongering is fine, if it's your port of call, but the likelihood of any kind of tectonic plate restructuring of Thailand is also as likely as Everest collapsing under its own weight..... it's possible, for sure. So is the existence of aliens...........

I think it's high tide people stopped to think about a richter 6 in Thailand.... oooops high-time I meant.

LOS has enough high agendae to consider, without all these passive remarks about a richter 6 earthquake becoming a reality.

Mr T's return would be a richter 10 for a start!!

-mel.

[timewilltell]

Well the pomposness of this fall guy is incredulous. And to cap it all he compares how well prepared Thailand is for the event of a major earthquake to how prepared they were for the floods! Truly astounding! Does this guy live in Thailand or is he just astoundingly stupifyingly ignorant.

A perfect example of democracy being the means by which the masses can elect the ignorant to control them. Maybe in some countries democracy should be illegal - self-abuse protection :-)

[folium]

I think there's a few off the mark on this one, IMHO.

The likelihood of Thailand suffering a richter 6 is about the same as the UK......... like virtually zero.

A 3.1/3.2? California has on average 10 a day.

Even after the huge quake in '04 Thailand suffered little aftershocks of consequence.

Scaremongering is fine, if it's your port of call, but the likelihood of any kind of tectonic plate restructuring of Thailand is also as likely as Everest collapsing under its own weight..... it's possible, for sure. So is the existence of aliens...........

I think it's high tide people stopped to think about a richter 6 in Thailand.... oooops high-time I meant.

LOS has enough high agendae to consider, without all these passive remarks about a richter 6 earthquake becoming a reality.

Mr T's return would be a richter 10 for a start!!

-mel.

I think there's a few off the mark on this one, IMHO.

The likelihood of Thailand suffering a richter 6 is about the same as the UK......... like virtually zero.

A 3.1/3.2? California has on average 10 a day.

Even after the huge quake in '04 Thailand suffered little aftershocks of consequence.

Scaremongering is fine, if it's your port of call, but the likelihood of any kind of tectonic plate restructuring of Thailand is also as likely as Everest collapsing under its own weight..... it's possible, for sure. So is the existence of aliens...........

I think it's high tide people stopped to think about a richter 6 in Thailand.... oooops high-time I meant.

LOS has enough high agendae to consider, without all these passive remarks about a richter 6 earthquake becoming a reality.

Mr T's return would be a richter 10 for a start!!

-mel.

Spot on.

Thailand is far enough away from major plate boundaries to have to worry about serious earthquakes. Indirect impacts from the compression of the Himalayas (eg the Tachilick quake in Mar 2011), or substantial movements along the Sunda megathrust plate boundary (eg Boxing Day tsunami 2004) are more realistic concerns.

There are faultlines across the entire planet and while no one can put an exact figure on it, there are approximately 2-3 million quakes a year with the vast majority too deep or too weak to be picked up apart from by seismographs.

The number of major quakes >7.0 magnitude has stayed pretty constant for decades with some 16 on average per year.

PS the Richter scale has been largely redundant since 1977 and has been superseded by the MMS (moment magnitude scale).

[whybother]

PS the Richter scale has been largely redundant since 1977 and has been superseded by the MMS (moment magnitude scale).

I don't think I've seen a news article using the MMS, and many earthquake websites still report in RS, so I don't think the RS is redundant.

[folium]

PS the Richter scale has been largely redundant since 1977 and has been superseded by the MMS (moment magnitude scale).

I don't think I've seen a news article using the MMS, and many earthquake websites still report in RS, so I don't think the RS is redundant.

Check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_magnitude_scale

Unless the quake is less than 3.5 magnitude all measurements of quake magnitude now use MMS rather than Richter.

Some people take a while to change but any half-decent news agency dropped the term Richter years ago (without actually now mentioning MMS, hence the confusion). See excerpts from recent news items:

"A 6.9-magnitude earthquake has struck off Mexico's Pacific coast, the second to hit the area in the last 24 hours." BBC News April 12

"A strong earthquake measuring magnitude 6.2 has struck off the coast of western Indonesia, but there is no danger of a tsunami, officials said." Associated Press April15

Talking about Richter for major earthquakes is like an actor saying "over and out" on a radio, ie a little less than accurate!