Phuket’s Missing Tsunami Towers Raise Disaster Preparedness Alarm
The disappearance of two tsunami warning towers in Phuket, Thailand, reveals a story that goes beyond misplaced infrastructure. It’s a story about bureaucratic dysfunction, the challenges of disaster preparedness, and the complex interplay of local and national politics. As detailed in this recent report from The Phuket News, what initially seems like a simple case of missing equipment quickly spirals into a tangle of explanations, denials, and buck-passing.
We’re talking about tsunami warning towers—systems designed to save lives in the face of a catastrophic natural disaster. And they’ve vanished. One was apparently demolished due to damage. Another was, inexplicably, “moved” to a different province entirely: Phang Nga. The explanations offered by Wichit Sutthaso, the newly appointed chief of Phuket’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM), raise more questions than they answer. He claims the tower relocation improves “signal transmission and efficiency,” a claim that strains credulity given the reduced coverage on Phuket’s heavily populated western coast.
The story gets murkier. Sutthaso, having just taken office, deflects responsibility onto his predecessor, who apparently authorized the removal without any public announcement. This lack of transparency fuels speculation and undermines public trust. Imagine the anxiety among residents and tourists, unaware that a key element of the island’s disaster preparedness has quietly been dismantled.
What’s really happening here? Several possibilities come to mind:
- Bureaucratic inertia: Perhaps this is a simple case of miscommunication and delayed repairs. Maybe the paperwork got lost, the funding dried up, and the easiest solution was to simply…pretend the towers didn’t exist?
- Land disputes: The MP’s concern about potential encroachment on private land hints at a more complicated scenario. Was the tower’s placement illegal? Did a developer exert pressure to have it removed?
- Inter-agency conflict: The transfer of a tower to another province suggests a possible jurisdictional dispute or resource allocation issue. Was Phang Nga deemed more important, or was this a way for Phuket DDPM to shed a problematic asset?
The lack of clear answers is deeply troubling. This isn’t just about two missing towers; it’s about the systemic weaknesses they expose. It’s about the fragility of disaster preparedness systems, particularly in regions vulnerable to natural hazards. It’s about the erosion of public trust in government, particularly when information is withheld or explanations seem implausible.
This incident underscores a fundamental tension in disaster preparedness: the difficulty of maintaining vigilance and investing in long-term resilience when the threat feels distant. We build systems for the “what ifs,” but those “what ifs” rarely materialize. Over time, complacency sets in, budgets shrink, and critical infrastructure falls into disrepair—or disappears altogether.
Ultimately, the missing tsunami towers in Phuket serve as a stark reminder that disaster preparedness isn’t just about having the right equipment; it’s about having the right systems, the right communication channels, and, perhaps most importantly, the right level of accountability. And in this case, it seems Phuket is falling short on all fronts.
