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BANGKOK, Thailand - Until two weeks ago, Smith Thammasaroj was a prophet without honor. As chief of Thailand's meteorological department in 1998, he was accused of scare-mongering when he warned that the country's southwest coast could face a deadly tsunami
He retired under a shadow, dismissed as a crackpot, accused of causing panic and jeopardizing a critical tourist industry that grew up around the tropical resort island of Phuket.
Today, Smith is being lionized for his foresight after the devastating Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami (Asian_Tsunami), which killed more than 150,000 people around the region, including 5,300 in Thailand, where 3,600 more are listed as missing.
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