PHUKET: Authorities checked Phuket's Bang Niew Dam for cracks today as the number of houses damaged by yesterday's Phuket-centred earthquake rose from 11 to 34, with two considered to be verging on uninhabitable.
The twin major earthquakes and tsunami scare on Wednesday combined with a second impromptu evacuation of Phuket's west coast yesterday have inevitably brought cancellations of bookings from some tourists.
Although the two-hour warning on Wednesday gave police time to help evacuate residents and tourists from the Andaman coast and Phuket to the hills, information was hard to come by.
Phuket opposition MP Raewat Areerob called today for the national government to improve the speed and quality of information: ''People were not being told what's happening fast enough.''
Thunderstorms cracked across Phuket this afternoon in a vivid reminder of the sound made by yesterday's surprise 4.3 magnitude quake as Department of Mineral Resources Director of Geology Suwit Kosuwan, from Bangkok, inspected Phuket's main dam.
With him were local officials from around the Srisoonthorn district with MP Raewat and Phuket Vice Governor Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak.
The 30-metre dam's 860-metre long wall appeared to be showing no signs of damage but checks will continue.
Aftershocks from the Phuket earthquake continued today at irregular intervals, too small to cause more damage but felt by people close to the epicentre.
Officials could not say with precise accuracy where the epicentre was but they believe it was close to Soi Bangkam in Srisoonthorn Moo 2.
By mid-morning, 34 house owners had listed their properties as damaged by yesterday's 4.3 magnitude quake, which came at 4.44pm.
It was a first for Phuket. Nobody could recall an earthquake with its epicentre on Phuket in modern times.
The novelty brought a call from Phuket Chamber of Commerce Secretary-General Dr Sirichai Silpa-Ar-Cha to tighten the building code on all construction of any height.
He also aims to raise the issue of the downed mobile telephone networks that made communication difficult on Wednesday. Services proved a little more robust yesterday.
Generally, the earthquakes five days apart have inevitably had an unsettling effect across the tourist industry, particularly visitors who had to evacuate not once but twice in the space of five days.
One Phuketwan reader said on Facebook: "Just cost more then the whole holiday to get home. I loved Thailand but when that happened it changed everything."
It's a wakeup call to local authorities to make sure they and resort managers know what to do in every crisis. However, Hawaii had two tsunamis in the space of 14 years yet continues to attract millions of tourists every year.
Early estimates put the number of people abandoning their holidays at six percent with another four percent cancelling planned holidays. These figures may prove to be conservative, judging by comments made by some tourists.
While the latest incidents have been alarming, Phuket retains plenty of appeal to tourists. Greater emphasis on safety and security will be needed from now on to encourage tourists to keep coming back.
Many of the issues raised by the incidents are likely to be raised by officials at meetings with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and other officials over the next few days.
The twin major earthquakes and tsunami scare on Wednesday combined with a second impromptu evacuation of Phuket's west coast yesterday have inevitably brought cancellations of bookings from some tourists.
Although the two-hour warning on Wednesday gave police time to help evacuate residents and tourists from the Andaman coast and Phuket to the hills, information was hard to come by.
Phuket opposition MP Raewat Areerob called today for the national government to improve the speed and quality of information: ''People were not being told what's happening fast enough.''
Thunderstorms cracked across Phuket this afternoon in a vivid reminder of the sound made by yesterday's surprise 4.3 magnitude quake as Department of Mineral Resources Director of Geology Suwit Kosuwan, from Bangkok, inspected Phuket's main dam.
With him were local officials from around the Srisoonthorn district with MP Raewat and Phuket Vice Governor Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak.
The 30-metre dam's 860-metre long wall appeared to be showing no signs of damage but checks will continue.
Aftershocks from the Phuket earthquake continued today at irregular intervals, too small to cause more damage but felt by people close to the epicentre.
Officials could not say with precise accuracy where the epicentre was but they believe it was close to Soi Bangkam in Srisoonthorn Moo 2.
By mid-morning, 34 house owners had listed their properties as damaged by yesterday's 4.3 magnitude quake, which came at 4.44pm.
It was a first for Phuket. Nobody could recall an earthquake with its epicentre on Phuket in modern times.
The novelty brought a call from Phuket Chamber of Commerce Secretary-General Dr Sirichai Silpa-Ar-Cha to tighten the building code on all construction of any height.
He also aims to raise the issue of the downed mobile telephone networks that made communication difficult on Wednesday. Services proved a little more robust yesterday.
Generally, the earthquakes five days apart have inevitably had an unsettling effect across the tourist industry, particularly visitors who had to evacuate not once but twice in the space of five days.
One Phuketwan reader said on Facebook: "Just cost more then the whole holiday to get home. I loved Thailand but when that happened it changed everything."
It's a wakeup call to local authorities to make sure they and resort managers know what to do in every crisis. However, Hawaii had two tsunamis in the space of 14 years yet continues to attract millions of tourists every year.
Early estimates put the number of people abandoning their holidays at six percent with another four percent cancelling planned holidays. These figures may prove to be conservative, judging by comments made by some tourists.
While the latest incidents have been alarming, Phuket retains plenty of appeal to tourists. Greater emphasis on safety and security will be needed from now on to encourage tourists to keep coming back.
Many of the issues raised by the incidents are likely to be raised by officials at meetings with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and other officials over the next few days.
"..two considered to be verging on uninhabitable." Are you sure the 'Authorities' have got this right? There's about 2 to 300 uninhabitable shacks in Chalong alone.
Posted by Jon on April 17, 2012 17:40