Recovery Process in Thailand after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

The tsunami generated by the Sumatra earthquake on December 26, 2004 affected many countries around the Indian Ocean and Thailand also suffered severely from this event, i.e. 6 provinces along the Andaman coastline. More than 8,000 people perished or went missing, 4,500 houses were totally destroyed, and economic losses were estimated at more than 14 billion baht. Since it bore the brunt of the tidal wave at its peak, Phang Nga experienced the largest number of fatalities or missing (more than 65%) as well as property damage (about 50%). The Government was prominent in several short- and long-term measures following the disaster management cycle, including the development of a tsunami resilient community. This paper discusses several measures implemented by the government, private sectors, and international organizations.