PHUKET: The saddest sight at tsunami commemorations along the Andaman coast is watching the relatives of big-wave victims put their mantel piece photographs on public display, as they do each year.
In the fishing village of Nam Khem (Salt Water) along the Phang Nga coast north of Phuket, the numbers of people attending the ceremony grows with every December 26 anniversary.
About 800 villagers were killed.
The tsunami is unlikely to be forgotten here, even though there are some who think it should not be remembered.
The memories remain strong. One of the odd reasons is because there appears to have been a baby boom in the region since the tsunami.
It is not unusual each December 26 to see a mother or father carrying a photograph of a son or daughter who was lost in 2004, as well as a living son or daughter in the other arm.
Children are raised to remember their lost sisters and brothers, their relatives. Families grow stronger with such memories.
In reporting the tsunami memorials, it hardly seems to matter who is in the audience. Tourists and Thais died in equal numbers.
For the families of the tourists, the trip back is never going to be easy.
The whole tsunami coast north of Phuket has blossomed since the tsunami, much as the once-salt-browned earth has turned green again.
On Phuket, the ceremonies are different. In past years, we've found it difficult to track a survivor who was actually in the water, or the relatives of victims.
There are certainly some who would rather forget. But in Nam Khem, where 800 villagers of all ages lost their lives, forgetting is not likely.
The other reason why the tsunami anniversary is worth remembering is that Phuket and Thailand's Andaman coast remains in a tsunami hazard zone.
Hawaii had one tsunami and then a second, 14 years later. More recently, Japan has experienced one tsunami, followed by another.
To ignore the fact that Thailand is in a tsunami hazard zone is a sign of ignorance. Just eight years ago, 5400 people were killed along this coast.
It's fair to speculate that probably the majority of the people who were killed did not even know the meaning of the word ''tsunami.''
in a better informed era, it would be a mistake to forget the big wave of 2004. The residents of Nam Khem show no sign of doing that.
In the fishing village of Nam Khem (Salt Water) along the Phang Nga coast north of Phuket, the numbers of people attending the ceremony grows with every December 26 anniversary.
About 800 villagers were killed.
The tsunami is unlikely to be forgotten here, even though there are some who think it should not be remembered.
The memories remain strong. One of the odd reasons is because there appears to have been a baby boom in the region since the tsunami.
It is not unusual each December 26 to see a mother or father carrying a photograph of a son or daughter who was lost in 2004, as well as a living son or daughter in the other arm.
Children are raised to remember their lost sisters and brothers, their relatives. Families grow stronger with such memories.
In reporting the tsunami memorials, it hardly seems to matter who is in the audience. Tourists and Thais died in equal numbers.
For the families of the tourists, the trip back is never going to be easy.
The whole tsunami coast north of Phuket has blossomed since the tsunami, much as the once-salt-browned earth has turned green again.
On Phuket, the ceremonies are different. In past years, we've found it difficult to track a survivor who was actually in the water, or the relatives of victims.
There are certainly some who would rather forget. But in Nam Khem, where 800 villagers of all ages lost their lives, forgetting is not likely.
The other reason why the tsunami anniversary is worth remembering is that Phuket and Thailand's Andaman coast remains in a tsunami hazard zone.
Hawaii had one tsunami and then a second, 14 years later. More recently, Japan has experienced one tsunami, followed by another.
To ignore the fact that Thailand is in a tsunami hazard zone is a sign of ignorance. Just eight years ago, 5400 people were killed along this coast.
It's fair to speculate that probably the majority of the people who were killed did not even know the meaning of the word ''tsunami.''
in a better informed era, it would be a mistake to forget the big wave of 2004. The residents of Nam Khem show no sign of doing that.
Will there or won't there be another Tsunami? Any Thai I have asked says there is no mention before the Tsunami in 2004 of one at any time in Thai history. However I felt the tremor earlier this year and my fishtank's water moved. I believe it was on the same plate but not certain. So who knows? Any views please?
Posted by Happy Farang on December 26, 2012 23:23