I knew before going to Khao Lak, I had been aware that they had experienced a lot of damage from the tsunami of 2004, but I had not known it was one of the hardest hit of all areas. The entire region had been devastated. Each day, the enormity of what had happened sank in more and more.
At first glance, Khao Lak looks little different from most other small towns in Thailand. Then, you notice that almost everything there is new, or nearly new. In the year following the tsunami, this area was swarming with relief agencies and church groups and the entire town was rebuilt... from new businesses to new homes. Since then, though, most of the outside help has left, so you don't see much of that kind of activity any more.
For most of us, the tsunami was a tragedy that was too far away to fully grasp. I know I was that way. To give you a clearer idea of what happened, let me explain it the way several people there told me about it this week.
On the morning of December 26, 2004, an earthquake struck well off the coast of northwestern Indonesia. From that spot, it is a clean shot across the Andaman Sea to Khao Lak. An hour later came the first indication that something unusual was going on at Khao Lak. There were no warnings or advance notice, but people along the sea shore and fisherman on the water noticed that the sea suddenly began to rapidly recede. It was like the tide was going out, but much faster and the water pulled back much, much farther than it ever would at low tide. No one had any idea what this meant. Most just stood in amazement and watched. After just ten minutes, the water stopped pulling back and things stood still for just a moment. In the distance, a line formed across the horizon and came racing toward the shore.(Looking out to sea from the beach at Khao Lak)
One thing that surprised me was that the wave was not as tall as I had envisioned. At its highest, it was 'only' about thirteen feet, high, not the towering fifty foot wall of water from the movies. But it had the power of the Indian Ocean behind it, and nothing could stand in its way. At the time, Khao Lak was a thriving tourist area, famed for its beautiful beaches and great diving adventures. Other beach resort towns like Phuket had concrete high rise hotels that could withstand the surge, but Khao Lak had a more rustic reputation, and it's hotels were mostly sets of small bungalows along the beach. In addition, the town, itself, sits nestled on a very low lying area between the ocean and the nearby mountains behind it.
Some were far enough from the ocean to flee when they heard the shouts and screams as the wave approached. Others were able to climb trees or other tall objects. One man, as he was being swept away, reached out and grabbed his son with one hand and with the other grabbed the side of a boat being driven past him and managed to cling to it long enough to save himself and his son.
In the end, some 4,100 people died in the Khao Lak area alone, with another 5,500 injured. Virtually everyone there today lost a child, a spouse, or a parent. It is pretty mind boggling.
The Tsunami memorial. Each of the squares holds a name plate of a victim. The wall represents the wave, and is about the height of the actual wave.
Among the victims were many children, whose families left photos to keep their memories alive.
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