In the event, the island continues to stand proud and Governor Tri Augkaradacha still has his job.
The Governor had vowed to resign if the prediction, posted on Facebook, came true – that the island would disappear with a loud gurgling noise yesterday, overwhelmed by natural disasters.
The prediction was posted on the social networking site on April 11, the day of the recent tsunami alert, by someone calling themselves Chaney Jane.
Someone printed out and photocopied the Facebook post, distributing copies around the island and adding to the growing panic among more naive members of the public.
The post sparked a conspiracy theory, originating with the Environmental Geology Bureau – and retailed by various media including the international news agency UPI – that the perpetrator of the Facebook post was in fact a speculator who wanted to drive down the price of land in Phuket.
Police have been told to track down Chaney Jane and bring him or her to justice for spreading alarm and despondency.