On 11 April 2012 at 15.38 hours, an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale struck near the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, which was followed by aftershocks measuring up to 8.8 on the Richter scale. This prompted the Thai National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) to issue a tsunami warning as well as an evacuation order for people located on the Andaman coast in the provinces of Satun, Trang, Krabi, Phuket, Phang Nga and Ranong to move to higher ground as a safety precaution. However, as the waves that eventually reached Thailand’s coast along the Andaman Sea proved to be only of small size and did not cause any damage, and given that the situation has stabilised, the NDWC at 20.45 hours lifted its tsunami warning and evacuation order.
It should be noted that given the importance attached by the Thai Government to disaster preparedness and management, the authorities concerned proceeded in accordance with established standard operation procedures in such cases immediately following the earthquake. At 19.30 hours of the same day, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also held an emergency meeting with all the agencies concerned, including the provincial governors of the six provinces on alert through video-conference.
After the meeting, the Prime Minister gave a televised address informing the public of the latest situation and the precautionary measures undertake. These included instructions for the Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Police and the provincial authorities to monitor the situation and to provide assistance to people as necessary. Hospitals were instructed to increase their level of preparedness, while hotels with foreign guests were asked to ensure the safety of those staying with them.
The Prime Minister also provided details about precautionary measures other authorities concerned were instructed to undertake, including the following:
- Ministry of Information and Communication Technology; Ministry of Science and Technology: To report on the situation and developments via the NDWC.
- Ministry of Interior: To implement the tsunami safety plan by notifying people in the six provinces along the Andaman coast to evacuate from risk areas.
- Ministry of Transport: To order the closure of Phuket International Airport and evacuate passengers in accordance with the evacuation plan until the NDWC lifts its tsunami warning; To set up a command centre at Suvarnabhumi Airport; To prepare all relevant agencies related to land and air transport for entering the area in the event of an emergency situation.
- Ministry of Public Health: For the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand to establish a task force to monitor the earthquake and to ensure that the emergency medical team is ready around the clock.
- Armed Forces: To be prepared to evacuate people in the event of a real disaster.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th