As on any other sunny day, bathers thronged the beaches in Krabi and Ranong.

On Saturday, a series of underwater earthquakes were detected off Ranong province, prompting the National Disaster Warning Centre (MDWC) to issue a tsunami alert to people living or staying along the Andaman Sea coast.

The warning caused a measure of panic, yet with no giant waves in sight the initial sense of alarm was subsiding yesterday.

"The atmosphere is as lively as before. There are many tourists around," Krabi Tourism Association's adviser Tharat Thanitanont said.

Tharat said hotels are not reported any cancellations following Saturday's earthquakes, adding that tourism continued to enjoy good prospects because most visitors were confident of the effectiveness of the country's early-warning system.

"We have modern equipment and officials monitor the situation round the clock," he said.

In Ranong too, tourists were yesterday seen relaxing on the beaches and playing in the sea.

That said, Manthana Charoenwipakchet, president of the local Tourism Association, voiced fears that the newly issued tsunami alarm might have dampened the prospects of tourism in the province.

"We are promoting Ranong as a new seaside destination, but after these earthquakes we may not be able to attract as many tourists," she said.

Smith Thammasaroj, an assistant minister in the PM's Office who oversees the NDWC, called on the governors of six southern provinces with coastlines on the Andaman Sea to make sure locals and tourists were aware the threat from the quakes had passed.

However, he recommended everyone to keep a precautionary eye on the news and information from the NDWC.

"If you have any questions, please call 1860," he said.

Adichart Surinkham, a senior official at the Mineral Resources Department, said the recent quakes had affected an active underwater volcano that was around 600 kilometres off the coast of Thailand. He explained that if the volcano exploded, it was possible that large waves could hit the coast.

"The waves would be only be about two or three metre high, however. They would not be as serious as the tsunami of December 2004," he said.

On December 26, 2004, waves measuring up to 10 metres high hit the shores of countries throughout Asia killing hundreds of thousands of people.

In a related development, the Meteorological Department yesterday warned people to brace themselves for a tropical storm expected to sweep the country over the coming days.

Officials said that a severe storm was expected to rampage through the Northeast before proceeding to blow through the country's North, East and Central regions.

The storm may hit Bangkok as well, they warned. It has already damaged more than 70 houses in Surin.