Summary of the February 6, 2005 RAST meeting
Donations to help the victims of the Dec 26 tsunami in the South of Thailand exceeded half a million baht following the February 6, 2005 monthly RAST meeting at Sena Place Hotel after those present between them donated over 20,000 baht in additional funds.
A strong turnout with at least 10 newcomers, also heard how RAST had been granted an official "charitable entity" status by the Thai Revenue Department (No. 555) and so donors to the society are now eligible for a tax exemption.
For details of these and other donors who have contributed to RAST's tsunami fund, and whom RAST would again like to take this opportunity to thank, please see the RAST website .
At a RAST directors' meeting following the get-together it was agreed that the funds raised by RAST will be presented to His Majesty the King to help those affected by the tidal wave along the Andaman Sea coastline.
Your society is also pleased to announce the appointment of three new committee members to the society:
Phatanadit Kulphaichitra, HS1WFK,
Alongkorn Porapukkaham, E20NXT
Damri Namphaya, HS1HBJ
RAST is honoured to have these three distinguished Thai amateur radio operators on its team of directors and we draw your attention to their selfless efforts following the disaster in the south. Please see our account on the web site that recounts the activities on HF, VHF and using Echolink, as well as on the ground, in the air and under the water during the week following the tsunami.
This brings the RAST committee back to its full complement of 15 directors, including President Mrs Mayuree Chotikul, HS1YL, following the resignation last year of Eddy, HS0/EA4BKA, Finn Jensen, OZ1HET, and former treasurer Somchai, E21LM.
The highlight of the meeting was an after-lunch presentation by Phat, HS1WFK, who began by talking about about the time that "the world listened to us" -- which was during the week following the tsunami when he, along with several other Thai radio hams, helped to co-ordinate rescue efforts and to get world out about the survivors and the missing to anxious relatives around the world, mostly using Echolink.
Phat explained how radio hams helped out not only with communications but in the air by piloting survey aircraft (and providing private airplanes), on the ground, helping to collect bodies, as well as under water to inspect damage there.
And he noted that these hams worked as a team, co-ordinating together and without any preliminary practice, adding that those radio hams in Phuket who helped channel traffic to Echolink deserved recognition, too.
Echolink, a voice over IP network for and used exclusively by radio amateurs was the real "hero", Phat said, offering praise to Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, who had created this software.
Phat also thanked RAST for having been the first organisation here to ask the Post and Telegraph Dept for the official use of this mode and for permission to relay transmissions in the ham bands.
He said that RAST had been recognised as an important part of a national emergency warning system in meetings at the national level held between many high-level people -- and the role of amateur radio and its importance as a national asset was now appreciated. Over 100,000 radio hams are currently active here, and it is now understood that this is a resource that can be called upon at any time.
Phat went on to say that we needed a clear, well organised amateur radio organisation and this was an important opportunity for RAST to build up a reputation among all hams in Thailand, speaking of a "new era" for the society that needed a "new concept" and a "new vision".
He then presented a comprehensive proposal that would attract young blood into the society, and gave details of the Thailand Amateur Radio Emergency Service (TARES) project, an organisation that would co-ordinate between radio amateurs throughout the country which would work with the National Telecommunications Commission and that would be under "professional management" under RAST.
This would, he explained, require money and he envisioned a comprehensive reorganisation and expansion of RAST that would see the society employ paid professionals to administer operations, while also generating revenues to enable this.
His presentation to members and guests present included an organisation chart, how much funding would be needed, ideas on how revenue might be generated, along with running expenses.