On Thursday, communities along Thailand’s Andaman coast gathered to honor the 20th anniversary of the devastating 2004 tsunami, which claimed 230,000 lives across 14 countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.
Ceremonies were held at several key locations, including Mai Khao Cemetery and Patong Beach in Phuket, the Tsunami Memorial Park in Ban Nam Khem, Phangnga, and the Sailfish Sculpture on Ao Nang Beach in Krabi.
At Mai Khao Cemetery, mourners, both local and international, observed a solemn minute of silence. Buddhist, Islamic, and Christian merit-making rituals followed, concluding with the laying of flowers at the cemetery’s memorial wall.
Wasawat Hongsasupasakul, deputy chairman of the Mai Khao Tambon Administrative Organisation, read a message from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in recognition of National Disaster Prevention Day, observed annually on December 26.
Ronny Karlsen, a Norwegian survivor of the tsunami, shared his reasons for attending. “The events of that day still remain in my memory,” he said.
Noi Rakthong, 52, recalled running a restaurant on Karon Beach with her Norwegian husband when the tsunami struck 20 years ago. They returned to Phuket for a holiday and participated in the ceremony to honor friends who lost their lives in the tragedy.
“Our Norwegian friends and customers died in the tsunami. After the incident, we moved to live in Norway,” Mrs. Noi said. “Although the incident occurred 20 years ago, our memories remain the same.”
In Krabi, an underwater ceremony was held at Tonsai Bay near Koh Phi Phi Don. Divers placed metal wreaths and garlands at a tsunami memorial on the seabed, about one kilometer offshore.
Meanwhile, in Phangnga, more than 1,000 survivors and families from other Andaman provinces—including Ranong, Phuket, Krabi, Trang, and Satun—joined religious ceremonies and shared breakfast at the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Park. This year’s attendance was the largest ever recorded.
A candlelight vigil is planned at the memorial park on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Among the mourners was Urai Sirisuk, a 62-year-old woman who lost her 4-year-old daughter to the waves.
“I felt that the waves took my daughter away. I was so mad at it,” said Ms. Urai, now 62. She said she would not go near the sea, just 50 meters away.
“I cannot bring myself to go near it—not even to put my feet in the sand. I wouldn’t come around here if it weren’t necessary. Never. The sea took my daughter from me,” she said.
Phangnga, one of Thailand’s hardest-hit provinces, saw the disaster claim 5,400 lives, including numerous foreign tourists.
A two-day academic forum began on Thursday at the Khao Lak Marriott Beach Resort & Spa, bringing together local and international experts from public, private, and civil society sectors to foster collaboration and share knowledge.
The forum focused on five main topics: public health and emergency medical services, advancements in national warning systems, research and innovation, building community preparedness for natural disasters, and developing sustainably safe cities.
The tsunami was triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia’s Aceh province on December 26, 2004, sending waves as high as 17.4 meters that caused destruction across 14 nations.
