Wave of caution: Patong stages tsunami drill to save lives
Attendees will study warning systems, escape routes, and evacuation plans
Patong is set to go into full emergency mode this month, as officials prepare to evacuate the town in a massive tsunami drill that could one day mean the difference between life and death.
Patong Mayor Lalita Maneesri announced the ambitious exercise yesterday, July 8, during a high-level meeting at the Patong Municipality Office.
“The safety of everyone in Patong—residents, students, workers and tourists—is our top priority. This drill will ensure we are ready for any emergency.”
The event, scheduled for Tuesday, July 29, will bring together an army of participants, including senior officials from Patong Municipality, the Kathu District Office, the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM Phuket), Patong Police, Patong Hospital, local schools, business owners and community leaders.
The day will kick off at 8.30am with a comprehensive briefing in the 4th-floor meeting room of Patong Municipality School (Baan Sai Nam Yen). Attendees will learn about tsunami warning systems, designated escape routes and the evacuation plan in detail. This session will run until midday.
At 1.30pm, the real action begins. The on-ground drill will start at the entrance of Bangla Road, Phuket’s most famous nightlife strip. From there, hundreds of participants will make their way to the designated safe zone in the car park on Soi Saensabai.
Officials say the exercise will test not only the evacuation plan itself but also how quickly people can respond when minutes count, reported The Phuket News.
Mayor Lalita stressed the importance of familiarising everyone with the procedures before a real disaster strikes.
“People need to understand the warning signals and know exactly where to go,” she said. “In a real emergency, there is no time for confusion.”
She also pointed out that the drill supports Patong Municipality’s wider mission to create a “modern, clean, beautiful, safe and sustainable tourism city.”
With thousands of locals and tourists packing Patong’s beachfront every day, the risk of a tsunami remains ever-present. The devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed thousands across the region, including many in Phuket, and remains a painful memory.
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