Tsunami In Phuket
The Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004 resulted in a series of massive Tsunamis that claimed thousands of lives in eleven countries in the Asia-Pacific region particularly that of Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Because of the proximity to the epicenter at Sumatra, Phuket was severely affected by the aftermath of the Tsunami. Official sources reported approximately five thousand deaths and eight and a half thousands injured in Thailand as a result of this devastating Tsunami. Phuket however, shares only a small part of these casualty figures in spite of being a small detached island in the Andaman Sea. The province saw much lesser casualty figures than that of its neighbor Phang Nga Province.
It is a fact that the devastating 2004 Tsunami left a deep scar in the beauty of the most gifted tourist haven Phuket that is known as the “Pearl of Andaman”. Approximately 262 people died (including 105 foreigners) and more than thousand people were injured. Worse impact was on the tourist facilities and infrastructures in the plains. Many bungalows and resorts in the flatlands of Phuket were washed away. But as compared to other tourist destinations in the region, Phuket saw a relatively low devastation due to the island’s hilly and mountainous configuration. The devastating waves of Tsunami could only reach about 500 meters inland and therefore affected those facilities within this limit.
The deep scar of 2004 Tsunami has almost vanished. Considering the aftermath of Tsunami in the region, the inflow of the tourists reduced significantly in the initial days following the devastation. But within a very short time, restoration projects were completed to build confidence of tourists and in fact it has successfully infused reassurances in the tourists’ minds that cannot but feel an increasing attraction to visit this gem island in the Andaman.
Phuket is safe again. Truly speaking it is probably the safest top tourist destination in the region. You shall hardly be able to trace back the effects of Tsunami as you land at and roam about this amazing island.
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