Phuket to remember tsunami victims

PHUKET: Services to remember those in Phuket lost to the 2004 tsunami disaster will be held at Patong, Kamala and Mai Khao this Sunday.

Governor Tri Augaradacha announced today that the annual Light Up Phuket event will be held at Loma Park in Patong.

In Mai Khao, a remembrance service will be held at the Wall of Remembrance.

He added that representatives from the Japanese embassy in Bangkok will attend a service at the Tsunami Memorial Park opposite the Print Kamala Resort.

The Japanese Association in Phuket has held services at a memorial stone laid at the site in Kamala since 2005. Traditionally, the Japanese ambassador to Thailand attends.
Details of the services will be announced later, said the governor.

Governor Tri also dismissed rumors that a tsunami would strike the Andaman Coast on December 30 this year, calling the claims pure speculation.

“Please do not feel nervous or excited about it. A tsunami is a natural disaster. We cannot predict when or where one will actually happen,” he said.

The governor added that government agencies have long prepared to deal with another tsunami, should one occur.

“We have tsunami drills twice a year. We also have tsunami warning towers. Some may have a few problems about the sound, but I can guarantee that every tower is still active.

A full-scale marine rescue and patient evacuation exercise is set to be held at Saphan Hin and Phuket International Airport on Friday.

All related organizations will take part in the exercise, including the Royal Thai Air Force’s Institute of Aviation Medicine and the National Disaster Warning Center.

“And two tsunami [direct-detection] buoys were deployed recently,” Gov Tri added.

— J Upatising & P Choksakulpan