From the Guardian

In Thailand Chcheep Mahachan, who works in the seismological bureau of the country's meteorology department, said it played down the impact of the earthquake because officials were wary about provoking panic. "A proper warning was not given," he said. "If we had given the warning and then it hadn't happened, then it would have been the death of tourism in those areas."

The department did issue a warning of an impending wave but the versions distributed to resorts and towns along the coast underestimated the likely threat.

The bureau chief, Sulamee Prachuab, said that her staff had overestimated previous threats. "Five years ago, the meteorological department issued a warning of a possible tidal wave after an earthquake in Papua New Guinea, but the tourism authority complained that such a warning would hurt tourism," she said.

I wonder if the tourism authority had considered the possible outcomes of not issuing a properly stated warning.