|
Time on www.inet.co.th is now 2010-03-10 16:56.
This page was last modified on
2006-12-22 15:58.
 If you can read Thai, there are scientific explanations along with facts from varoius sources.
For non-Thai speakers, we suggest you watch NOVA: Wave that shook the world (transcript, teacher's guide) and Discovery Channel: Unstoppable Wave, America's Tsunami: Are We Next, or Tsunami Ground Zero -- any of the three, featuring Kate Moran, a Canadian Oceanographer, lead scientist of the SEATOSS expedition.
For details on decade long field studies that led to a better understanding how rupture of subduction zone can create a magnitude 9 earthquake, please follow the work of Dr Kerry Sieh of Tectonics Observatory, the California Institute of Technology. Two risk areas identified by this model are the Sumatran subduction zone and the Cascadia subduction zone.
The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) has released a Thai and an English page of satellite imaginary for the disaster areas in Thailand.
*** TSUNAMI MEMORIAL DESIGN COMPETITION ***
WORST STRUCK AREAS
This page describes two worst-hit locations: Khao Lak in Phang Nga province and Phi Phi (Don) island in Krabi province.
Khao Lak stood the tidal waves directly. The beaches are much shallower and longer than those of Phuket. Based on an assessment by Japanese tsunami experts, the tidal waves at Khao Lak were around 13.8m high. Located 40km south of Khao Lak, Phuket was luckier on two grounds: the "head" of Sumatra island blocked the tsunami direct waves and Phuket beaches are steeper/shorter, allowing less tidal wave height to form; the tsunamis at Phuket were estimated around 5m high. Phi Phi on the east of Phuket was in turn blocked by Phuket; unfortunately, because of Phi Phi construction codes which do not allow high rise buildings, even smaller tidal waves did cause severe damages.
KHAO LAK
 Khao Lak area is a 25-km long coastline. Having everything from five-star luxury hotels to low cost hostels, Khao Lak had something to entertain people of different preferences.
Khao Lak was the hardest hit area because from waterfront, one had to run up hill to escape the waves. From satellite pictures, the water came up around 800m into land. Two dolphines were carried away 1.5km inland to a land-locked pond. And with a tsunami speed, it's hard to make a kilometre run in a minute. Only one hotel on a hill survived the disaster. The rest were under heavy damages.
Khao Lak is the nearest point from mainland to the Similan islands which is a world-class diving spot -- straight off the sea on the west. A google search for the query "khao lak similan" returned 23,400 documents may imply how popular the area is (query "similan" alone returns 166,000 while "khao lak" alone returns 438,000 documents).
There were high number of casulties in the area. If you are looking for missing persons in the area, prepare dental records, fingerprints and proper ID document to match the bodies. More details from our procedures page or from foreign embassies.
CRISP NUS is providing striking satellite pictures of Khao Lak: (*Before* 2003-01-13) and (*After* 2004-12-29). See also "fly through" animation sequence constructed by applying ground colours as seen by the IKONOS satellite and the Digital Elevation Model supplied by the US Geological Survey. Khao Lak was crushed between walls of water and mountains behind it.
Khao Lak right after the tsunami a flash slide show from Sweden; so dejected even if you don't understand the words it says. Live goes on....
PHI PHI ISLANDS
Phi Phi islands is a dream island resort area. The tsunamis turned it into a nightmare, and even nightmarish living conditions for those who survive.
 Phi Phi islands is a mid-point between Phuket and Krabi; 48 km on the southeast of Phuket and 42 km on the south of Krabi.
Phi Phi Don is an H-shape island. East and west lime stone mountains act as gigantic walls blocking strong wind in the monsoon season. Both landmasses are connected with a narrow isthmus.
The isthmus is surrounded both sides Ton Sai bay on the south and Loh Dalam bay on the north. Phi Phi pier is situated on the deeper Ton Sai bay. The isthmus is only 150m wide but glutted with bangalows and day-trippers stopping over.
The tsunamis struck from both bays at the same time leaving people no place to go. The waves were MUCH stronger on Loh Dalam, Nui and Loh Lana bays, all on the west side where the tsunamis came.
In a courtesy phone call to a co-owner of Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort and Spa who spoke from the island on the day after tsunami struk, resorts on east side of Phi Phi Don were not damaged but one in Laem Tong peninsula. That hotel was unfortunately built at a spot where there is no hill to block the tidal waves coming in from the west. The co-owner lost ALL his friends in the Ton Sai area.
Here was what happened at this resort in the morning that the killer waves attacked:
- Television news reported a strong earthquake near Sumatra on the morning of Sunday December 26, 2004. There was no public warning of tidal waves, which has never happened in this area in a life time, other than warning of quake aftershocks.
- House of another hotel co-owner on the east coast of Phuket, Chalong bay, was struck with the tidal waves. Nobody was certain what it was; Chalong doesn't face the tidal waves directly so it wasn't catastrophic. But the house owner noticed sea water subsided then came back up as big waves. Both co-owners consulted each other and decided to call the hotel from Phuket to evacuate guests from Loh Ba Kao beach as a pre-caution. Should nothing happened, the hotel would apologize its guests; disturbing the guests is a very awkward situation in the hospitality business! But since this was a safety pre-caution, it wasn't a hard decision. And, it was the right and timely decision!
- Around 30 minutes later, the tsunamis struck Phi Phi. But on the Loh Ba Kao bay in front of the hotel, it looked like extraordinary high tide before receded to a normal level. [Pictures right after tsunami]
- The hotel, however, still lost two guests. One was strolling on Ton Sai bay on the other side of the island, another could not be contacted during the evacuation. See more in A Tsunami Anniversary on Phi Phi Island and Broadbridge Education Centre.
|
Click here for QuickTime movie of Phi Phi tsunami attack, reconstructed by calibrated numerical simulation by Dr. Sutat Weesakul of Asian Institute of Technology. |
There is no way to compensate for loss of lives. But if conclusions drawn from this case can save lives from future tsunamis, a lesson is learnt.
The extent of damage at various hotels and resorts in Krabi (including Phi Phi) is available here.
Suggestions, feedback about this site, drop a mail to < tsunami [ at ] thai / dot / com > without those misplaced symbols. Emails with attachment(s) are not read. |
