Experts tried to issue warning

A THAI expert said yesterday that he tried to warn the government a deadly tsunami might be sweeping toward tourist-packed beaches, but couldn’t find anyone to take his calls.

Samith Dhammasaroj said he was sure a tsunami was coming as soon as he heard about the massive December 26 earthquake off Indonesia’s Sumatra island that measured magnitude 9.0 - the world’s biggest in 40 years.

Mr Samith is the former chief of the meteorological department now charged with setting up an early warning disaster system for Thailand.