DISASTER AVOIDABLE

[Guest]

don't mistake me - i do not blame the death toll on anyone. i also do not think that, considering all circumstances, a warning systhem would have been able to lower the death toll significantly.

the question though is what happened straight afterwards. the most hit area of thailand - takuapa district - has for full three days received hardly any assistence whatsoever from the government, or international agencies.

it disgusts me, how that is silenced now, how lots of people do nowadays present themselves as perfectly blameless and that way are presented as the heros they clearly are not.

it is not about "blaming", but about an open investigation into the mistakes to avoid the same in the next catastrophy, and giving answers to the relatives of the victims. they do deserve that honesty.

they don't deserve to be fucked around by the big egos.

[Guest]

Plenty [color:"blue"] COULD [/color] have been done, but [color:"blue"] NOTHING [/color] was done to warn the people of this disaster.

 

 

 

In order to prevent this problem from happening again- what caused such a high death count has to be examined so the problems associated with this disaster are not repeated.

 

The major problem I notice with this disaster is that if anybody tried to do any warning - they got laughed at.

 

 

 

 

 

This major problem, which is one of the simplest of problems to correct, is also an underlying problem some have with others here on this site.

 

 

 

Pattaya127 said

[color:"red"] "I read this thread and it's been going on for pages, without one post going into how things could be done better the next time." [/color]

 

 

Not really true. In order to prevent a tragedy in the future, this tragedy has to be examined to see what contributing factors cost so many lives.

 

1. The main problem I have noticed is people were laughing at the main Thai expert on this subject instead of listening to him

2. When the 8.1 earthquake occurred, there should have been a 24 hour vigilance to monitor activities.

3. When the earthquake that caused the tsumani occurred, warning should have been sounded

4. There should have been responsive building codes in place that would have reduced or eliminated building/structural damage.

 

Even with the best advance warning system in place, if #1 is not corrected, the system maybe reduced to a pile of worthless crap. The cost of implementing #1 - is nothing - FREE!

 

 

:(This disaster killed many lives which, in many cases, could have been prevented. A REAL TRAGEDY!

[Guest]

Quote

[color:"red"] "Nobody is to blame for the tsunami - it is a natural disaster.

It is very rare in this region so for that reason nobody had used scarce resources to set up a warning system." [/color]

 

Not really true. Earthquakes occur but if you can warn somebody but forget to do it, then you can be blamed. Tsunamis provide advance warning so there is time for evacuation. For Thailand, there was enough time to have done an evacuation.

 

As for a warning system: there is already in place TV/Radio, etc. that could have been used but was not done.

 

:: :: :: In many cases, all some people would have had to do was walk less then 1000 - 2000 meters and they would have been safe. With the advance notice the Tsumani gave Thailand, the evacuation could of amounted to a casual stroll.

 

[color:"blue"] Nobody has mentioned that as much advance notice the tsumani gave Thailand - that amount of time was more time then it took for the whole world to find out via the internet that something bad had happened in Phuket.

[/color]

[Guest]

:stirthepo

[pattaya127]

why do you need to know how it looked like, aren't there not enough photos easily available?

-------------------

not exactly what I said. I meant that you gave us little about how things went down there, how everyone related to each other in hours of stress, how long did you work, where did you stay how did the local MIB responded independantly of the big boys in BKK, at least compared to your condemnation of the authorities and Mr T.

 

not that you have to do it if you don't want, I just think it would convey a better sense of what you went thru.

 

The picture thing was added because you said the govnmt is hiding the truth, a truth you claim to have seen with your own eyes, of 1000 of bodies where these guys said a few dozens. Maybe they don't make that claim anymore.

 

How about the people around you in BKK. What is the mood, how is everyone helping? Is there a lot that can be done from BKK?

[Guest]

i worked till i collapsed, and kept working. everybody did. i have never ever been that exhausted in my whole life.

the local MIB stopped being cops, and became simple humans who were as shocked as everybody, as helpless, as angry, and did work like everybody.

the only beautyful memory i have experienced down there was that suddenly all class differences vanished for those days of chaos, and people just were together.

 

now the government does not make that claim anymore, it can't. but they did at the most crucial days when more rescue workers, coordination and equipment were desperately needed.

they still though downplay the number of dead. they do give the impression that they had everything under control all the time with their appearances (and get tremendous political benefit from that lie), supported by certain embassies who who still deny the mass graves (such as my own).

the truth is that things were in a state of chaos for the first three days, and that the only reason that complete breakdown was prevented were the inhuman efforts by Dr. Pornthip, the few hundred volonteers, and the local villagers.

 

people around bangkok? didn't speak with that many yet. haven't been out much yet, too busy. some don't care at all, others do, like the lady taxi driver yesterday who listened very carefully to my story.

most people here outside the affected areas just know what is presented them in the news, and what is presented them has a pro government spin.

 

now the authorities have things pretty much in control down there. rebuiding will go on, and it won't take much time. don't forget, it only was a rather small strip of land that was affected, and not everywhere. general infrastructure is hardly damaged.

thailand does not need much outside help anymore, i am sure that they can cope on their own with what needs to be done now. thailand only needs a fast return of tourists so that the local economies are not going to be too damaged.

 

the moment all the aid agencies finally came they were actually not needed anymore. they were mainly there for show. by the time they arrived in full force things were already in the process of normalisation. the thai army alone would have been perfectly capable of dealing with things themselves at that stage.

[Nervous_Dog]

In a few other threads, and maybe this should be a new thread, comment has been made about the various aid agencies.

 

A number have stopped collecting saying they have enoough, and I see UNICEF taking out full page adds asking for donations.

 

Sigh - some are good, some are average, and a few are duds I am sure, but better to give than ignore.

 

DOG

[Guest]

Today's Bangkok Post gave a time line and event line of what did happen and the reasons why people were not warned.

 

 

The warning system the Thais have could have worked but the problem is people did not allow it to work.

 

This problem has caused controversey in that if an expensive warning system is implemented but is not used, the same scenario could be repeated all over again.

 

This disaster was avoidable.