wowpow
May 18th, 2006, 12:59
Bangkok Post, Thursday 18th May 2006
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
The network collapse of mobile phone operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) marred Thailand's first full-scale drill for the tsunami early warning system, as short text messages could not be sent to alert officials. A source close to the National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) blamed the hour-long communication breakdown on the AIS network failure.
Officials have to send short warning messages to alert more senior people, including Plodprasop Suraswadi, the centre director, and Smith Dharmasaroja, chairman of the National Committee on Natural Disaster Warning, after detecting signs of a tsunami. If a tsunami can be confirmed, further messages would be sent to the prime minister, key cabinet members and provincial governors.
The drill, lasting less than two hours, took place in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Pran Buri district and Nakhon Si Thammarat's Khanom district. In the drill, an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale was said to occur in the northwestern Philippines at 9am. Four minutes later, the NDWC received information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.
Officers were supposed to send urgent messages to high-ranking commanders and make contact with the media in case a live warning broadcast was needed.
Twenty-four countries, including Thailand, joined the Exercise Pacific Wave 06 exercise yesterday.
The source said the communication failure worried Mr Smith, who said a back-up message system was needed in case the main one failed. Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop, who chaired the event, said the drill, while hampered by communication problems, was still impressive.
Thailand set up the NDWC last year after the tsunami on Dec 26, 2004 claimed 5,400 lives. The simulation was conducted by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System, an agency under Unesco. Thailand spent two million baht on the programme.
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
The network collapse of mobile phone operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) marred Thailand's first full-scale drill for the tsunami early warning system, as short text messages could not be sent to alert officials. A source close to the National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) blamed the hour-long communication breakdown on the AIS network failure.
Officials have to send short warning messages to alert more senior people, including Plodprasop Suraswadi, the centre director, and Smith Dharmasaroja, chairman of the National Committee on Natural Disaster Warning, after detecting signs of a tsunami. If a tsunami can be confirmed, further messages would be sent to the prime minister, key cabinet members and provincial governors.
The drill, lasting less than two hours, took place in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Pran Buri district and Nakhon Si Thammarat's Khanom district. In the drill, an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale was said to occur in the northwestern Philippines at 9am. Four minutes later, the NDWC received information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii.
Officers were supposed to send urgent messages to high-ranking commanders and make contact with the media in case a live warning broadcast was needed.
Twenty-four countries, including Thailand, joined the Exercise Pacific Wave 06 exercise yesterday.
The source said the communication failure worried Mr Smith, who said a back-up message system was needed in case the main one failed. Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop, who chaired the event, said the drill, while hampered by communication problems, was still impressive.
Thailand set up the NDWC last year after the tsunami on Dec 26, 2004 claimed 5,400 lives. The simulation was conducted by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System, an agency under Unesco. Thailand spent two million baht on the programme.