REGULAR tsunami tower sound tests, a night drill for the first time and a series of high-season tsunami and emergency practices are designed to assuage concerns about Phuket's capacity to handle disasters.
The Thai national anthem is to be broadcast twice a month at 8am on the first and fifteenth from Phuket's 19 beach warning towers. In a real alert, the evacuation order will come in several languages.
The village of Kamala, north of Patong, is to become the pioneer night tsunami drill site on December 14. At 8pm, the evacuation drill will be held, although concerns continue about the need for all holidaymakers to be informed that the event will be just a drill.
Resorts are not compelled to warn guests that they are holidaying in a tsunami zone. Phuketwan believes visitors to Phuket are entitled to know who will wake them up if a tsunami hits Thailand between midnight and 6am.
While such an event is unlikely, the unstable undersea environment in the region continues to wreak deadly surprises for the unprepared.
For the first time this year, Phuket is also to hold a series of emergency drills during the tourism high season. Previous drills earlier this year were criticised for the failure of tower alerts to sound or for the towers sounding in error at the wrong time.
Several emergency groups are to be involved in practice drills at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation College in Phuket City on December 22 and 23.
There will also be a full-scale marine rescue and patient evacuation exercise at Saphan Hin in Phuket City and Phuket International Airport on December 24.
Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket chief San Jantharawong announced the tsunami tower tests and the Kamal drill at a media briefing at Provincial Hall in Phuket City on December 1.
A tsunami in Indonesia last month that killed hundreds without warning is believed to have provoked concern for continuing tests on Phuket and along the Andaman coast of Thailand.
A total of 5400 visitors and residents died in Thailand in the December 26 2004 tsunami. About 220,000 were killed around the Indian Ocean.
Phuket Air Traffic Smashes Record, More to ComeThe Thai national anthem is to be broadcast twice a month at 8am on the first and fifteenth from Phuket's 19 beach warning towers. In a real alert, the evacuation order will come in several languages.
The village of Kamala, north of Patong, is to become the pioneer night tsunami drill site on December 14. At 8pm, the evacuation drill will be held, although concerns continue about the need for all holidaymakers to be informed that the event will be just a drill.
Resorts are not compelled to warn guests that they are holidaying in a tsunami zone. Phuketwan believes visitors to Phuket are entitled to know who will wake them up if a tsunami hits Thailand between midnight and 6am.
While such an event is unlikely, the unstable undersea environment in the region continues to wreak deadly surprises for the unprepared.
For the first time this year, Phuket is also to hold a series of emergency drills during the tourism high season. Previous drills earlier this year were criticised for the failure of tower alerts to sound or for the towers sounding in error at the wrong time.
Several emergency groups are to be involved in practice drills at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation College in Phuket City on December 22 and 23.
There will also be a full-scale marine rescue and patient evacuation exercise at Saphan Hin in Phuket City and Phuket International Airport on December 24.
Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket chief San Jantharawong announced the tsunami tower tests and the Kamal drill at a media briefing at Provincial Hall in Phuket City on December 1.
A tsunami in Indonesia last month that killed hundreds without warning is believed to have provoked concern for continuing tests on Phuket and along the Andaman coast of Thailand.
A total of 5400 visitors and residents died in Thailand in the December 26 2004 tsunami. About 220,000 were killed around the Indian Ocean.
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