Malfunctioned buoy not affect Thailand’s tsunami warning system

BANGKOK, July 25 (TNA) - An offshore buoy to detect tsunami in Thailand's southern Andaman resort Phuket Province has been malfunctioned, but Phuket Deputy Governor Chokdee Amornwiwat affirmed that it will not affect the tsunami warning system in his province. Chokdee told journalitst on Monday that other buoys nearby and equipment to measure sea levels in neighboring Phang-nga Province remain working well to issue a tsunami warning. The deputy governor’s explanation came after Phuket's earthquake monitoring center run by the local civil sector posted online that the No. 23410 tsunami warning buoy, positioned 1,100 kilometers offshore west of Phuket, has failed to report updates on waves for about 80 days and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) noted that the buoy has been malfunctioned since March 22. The deputy governor acknowledged that the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) can also use information sent from other tsunami warning buoys in the global network of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), particularly those in India and Australia positioned near the malfunctioned buoy. "The equipment used to monitor sea levels at Koh Mieng in nearby Phang-nga Province can also monitor tsunami and create confidence in the existing tsunami warning system among local residents and international visitors", the deputy governor insisted. Besides, the ICT Ministry plans to install more tsunami warning buoys in the Andaman Sea, expected to be started in November 2016 at the latest, depending on the weather condition. (TNA)