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Isabel
& Ronald - Thailand Trip 2007 - ´Phuket´ (02)
 ...On December
26, 2004, Phuket and other nearby areas on Thailand's western coast
suffered extensive damage when they were struck by a tsunami caused by
the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The waves destroyed several highly
populated areas in the region, killing as many as 5,300 people
nationwide, and tens of thousands more throughout the wider Asian
region. As many as 250 people were reported dead in Phuket, including
foreign tourists. Almost all the major beaches on the west coast,
especially Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata, sustained major damage,
with some damage also being caused to resorts and villages on the
island's southern beaches.
However, by
February 2005 most undamaged resorts were back in business, and
throughout 2005 life slowly returned to normal for the people of
Phuket. As of November 2005, following strenuous recovery programmes,
there is little obvious tsunami damage remaining other than at more
remote beaches, and the tourist industry which drives the Phuket
economy appears to have almost fully recovered.
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