Phuket MP Thitikan Thitipruethikul on Wednesday (Apr 2) called for parliament to launch an investigation into what happened with two tsunami warning towers on Phuket’s east coast that are now missing.
Of the two missing tsunami warning towers, one is WH09 at Mai Khao Beach, and the other WH10 at Ley Phang Beach, just north of Bang Tao.
“I requested urgent repairs for the damaged warning towers, on Oct 24, 2024 for Ley Phang and another request on Dec 12, 2024 for the one at Mai Khao Beach,” MP Thitikan told Parliament.
“My team inspected the sites and found both warning towers missing,” he said.
MP Thitikan expressed serious concern over WH10 on Ley Phang Beach. “A hotel had fenced off the area and then the tower disappeared,” he said.
Mr Thitikan questioned whether the tower at Ley Phang was on state or private land and who approved its construction, or if authorities wrongly built the tower on private land.
“Both warning towers were removed without any announcement details or notification from the Phuket DDPM. This caused much concern among local residents,” he said.
“This change leaves the entire western coast of Thalang with only two warning towers, which is not enough. More importantly, Ley Phang is home to many hotels, tourists and local residents, making it crucial to keep the tower in place,” Mr Thitikan said.
“Clear and official announcements are important and will help prevent the spread of incomplete information that could cause panic,” he said.
Following his presentation to Parliament, a complaint letter was submitted to the Committee on Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters, received by committee Rapassorn Niyamosatha, to investigate the issue.
EXPLANATIONS
Wichit Sutthaso, the new Chief of the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM Phuket), gave The Phuket News some explanations as to what happened to the two missing warning towers.
Of note, Mr Wichit took up the position of DDPM Phuket Chief only on Monday (Mar 31), replacing Sopon Thongsai.
“Phuket’s tsunami warning system is facing disruptions due to old and damaged towers. As a result, Mai Khao, Ley Phang and Kata Beach are temporarily without warning sirens,” Mr Wichit confirmed.
Regardless, Mr Wichit assured that 16 of the 19 tsunami warning towers on Phuket are functioning normally.
Regarding Ley Phang Beach, Mr Wichit said, “The tower has been ‘moved’ (sic) and is being relocated to Tai Mueang in Phang Nga, where it will offer improved signal transmission and more efficiency.”
“The missing tower at Mai Khao was demolished because it was damaged, and a new one will be built. The structural damage was severe, requiring demolition and disposal by the DDPM Phuket office,” Mr Wichit added.
“The warning siren itself remains at Mai Khao, but it is no longer working because it is no longer fitted to the tower. Once the new tower installation is complete, it [the siren] will be re-installed and work as normal,” he said.
“The same will happen at Kata Beach [where the tower itself remains in place]. Once the repairs are complete, everything will return to normal,” he added.
For Ley Phang Beach, Mr Wichit refused to explain why additional towers were not installed at Tai Mueang instead of reducing the number of towers on Phuket’s west coast.
Instead, he gave a vague response, stating that the tower’s “efficiency” in its new location is better than it was at Ley Phang.
He also noted that since he recently replaced Mr Sopon, the project had already been implemented before he took office.
“When I arrived, everything was gone, including the tower and the siren. It had already been moved to Phang Nga,” he said.
Likewise, Mr Wichit had no explanation as to why his predecessor, Sopon Thongsai, never issued an official announcement on the matter.
Regardless, Mr Wichit assured, “We are monitoring the progress closely. Our technical department has backup plans in place if an emergency situation occurs.
Asked how DDPM Phuket would handle an emergency without working sirens in the three affected areas, Mr Wichit said, “We have other warning channels, and local authorities are responsible for spreading important announcements in the affected areas.”
“Local authorities, including Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), Cherng Talay OrBorTor and Karon Municipality, are responsible for warning residents, and tourists, in their areas,” he added.