Holidaymakers were left rattled this week after a bizarre social media frenzy warned of a massive tsunami hitting southern Thailand tomorrow, July 5. But the country’s top weather experts have poured cold water on the scare, insisting the “quake prophecy” is nothing more than a comic book fantasy.
The bogus warning claimed that deadly waves would smash into Chumphon and Narathiwat provinces today. It spread like wildfire on Facebook, prompting fears of mass evacuations and even a dip in local tourism.
But the Meteorological Department of Thailand rubbished the claims, with a spokesperson branding them “completely false” and urging the public not to panic.
“There is currently no technology in the world that can accurately predict the date and time of an earthquake or tsunami. We ask the public to follow official updates only and not believe random rumours online.”
The panic appears to have started with a cult Japanese manga comic titled The Future That I Saw, which eerily predicted the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. In its latest edition, it ominously warns that “the real disaster will come in July 2025.”
Characters in the graphic novel claim the ocean floor between Japan and the Philippines will rupture, triggering monster waves that slam into southern Japan. But the fantastical plot has somehow been twisted into an online prophecy of doom for Thailand.
The manga’s author, Ryo Tatsuki, nicknamed Japan’s “Baba Vanga,” has shot to fame for her uncanny predictions, including the deaths of Princess Diana and Freddie Mercury, and even the Covid-19 pandemic. But she’s now urged people to calm down.
“I’m not a prophet,” she said in a statement. “Please don’t be overly swayed by my dreams. Always act based on scientific advice.”
Despite Tatsuki’s plea, thousands of worried netizens have shared videos and posts about the supposed July 5 apocalypse, spreading to Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai platforms.
Seismologists in Japan have also rubbished the hype, the South China Morning Post reported.
“At the moment, it is still impossible to predict an earthquake with specific timing, location or its magnitude,” the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Thailand’s Anti-Fake News Centre has since stepped in, slamming the viral posts as “disinformation” and reminding citizens to rely on credible sources.
Even though Japan has experienced over 1,000 tremors in the Tokara island chain since June 21, experts say that’s no reason to expect a major quake or tsunami in Thailand or anywhere else.
“Yes, some earthquakes are preceded by foreshocks,” said one Japanese scientist. “But it only happens in a handful of cases. This is just fearmongering.”
So while the weekend might bring a few storm clouds, there’s no killer wave coming to Thailand, just a surge of online nonsense.
The story Quake fake! Thailand tsunami terror just a cartoon cliffhanger as seen on Thaiger News.
