Phuket, one of the most famous beach destinations in Asia, boasts of spectacular scenery, picturesque tropical sunsets and warm blue seas. It is blessed with a lot of beautiful and natural resources such as lime stones cliffs, rocky headlands and lush hills and forests. Overlooking all of these would be the hotels, resorts and restaurants that tourist can stay in and dine while enjoying the breathtaking view, so imagine how devastating the Phuket tsunami was.
On the 26th of December in 2004, Phuket and the other nearby areas on the western coast of Thailand suffered extensive damage as they were struck by a tsunami which was caused by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean. The waves destroyed some highly populated areas on the island, leaving about 5,300 people dead throughout the country. In Phuket, about 250 people were reported to have died, which included foreign tourists. Many illegal Burmese workers also died in the Khao Lak area as they were constructing several new beach resorts.
Nearly all of the beaches that were on the western coast sustained significant damage, with some damage brought upon the resorts and villages on the southern regions of the island. Some of the places that suffered most after the Phuket tsunami would be Nai Thon Beach, Nai Yang Beach, Layan Beach, Bangtao Beach, Kamala Beach, Kalim Beach, Patong Beach, Karon Beach, Naiharn Beach, Surin Beach and Rawai Beach.
Fortunately, in a combined effort of the local government, the locals and the businessmen on the island, the Phuket tsunami slowly turned into an unfortunate event of the past. In just a couple of months, Phuket and the nearby areas were able to go back in business.
Throughout 2005, life was able to gradually return to normal for people who are living and visiting Phuket. Before the year 2005 ended, there were a couple of strenuous recovery programs in place, which made the damage caused by the Phuket tsunami seems less terrible. The tourist industry has also been able to fully recover. As a matter of fact, there were numerous hotels and resorts built after the Phuket tsunami, which attracted even more tourists and visitors to travel to the island.
Today, Phuket remains one of the preferred holiday destinations that travelers go to. And why not? With its great mix of affordable accommodations, palm-lined beaches, unique attractions, appetizing food and fun locals, a trip to this wonderful island would certainly be a pleasurable and unforgettable one.
