Maybe Up To 6000 Dead, Tidal Waves Slams Thailand

[davethailand]

My heart goes out to all involved, a terrible thing to happen, not a very merry xmas after all.

Tornado, Could you give me some info please, I think not as its on high ground but is Katamanda (the luxury villa resort) in Kata Noi damaged at all?

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I just called a mate in Kata and he said "hasnt been touched", anyone else here in Phuket add more info for Dave?

cheers

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Thanks mate.

And considering that Phi Phi has 200 dead alone I think the Thailand figure is well out..

One of my friends is a diver who was working from Khao Lak to similans.. she has been rescued by military boats.. Dont know if airlifted or how she has been made safe..

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Is this a confirmed figure?

[Tornado]

My land on Koh Yao was totally smashed!  , new house Phuket, just about gone, but we are all ok.

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Glad you are all OK. Comisserations for your house on Phuket. Re: Koh Yao, Yai or Noi? How badly has Koh Yao been hit? My sympathies and thoughts to all of you directly and indirectly effected by this. I am shell-shocked.

Anyone any info at all from Khao Lak? Hoping it's not too bad, close friends there right now.

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My land is on Yai with no Islands in front of me, it was seriously hit I have been told. I have a government friend over there and he said Koh Yao resort is badly damaged (koh Yao Noi). I thank my lucky stars that I had a few unplanned commitments as I was supposed to be on my property for Christmas. I also probably would of still been in bed due to celebrations the night before.

Krabi seems to have been hit as bad.

[Ajarn]

My heart goes out to all involved, a terrible thing to happen, not a very merry xmas after all.

Tornado, Could you give me some info please, I think not as its on high ground but is Katamanda (the luxury villa resort) in Kata Noi damaged at all?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just called a mate in Kata and he said "hasnt been touched", anyone else here in Phuket add more info for Dave?

cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, the Thai TV news has reported at least three deaths at Kata beach from people being washed out to sea...

[Tornado]

My heart goes out to all involved, a terrible thing to happen, not a very merry xmas after all.

Tornado, Could you give me some info please, I think not as its on high ground but is Katamanda (the luxury villa resort) in Kata Noi damaged at all?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just called a mate in Kata and he said "hasnt been touched", anyone else here in Phuket add more info for Dave?

cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, the Thai TV news has reported at least three deaths at Kata beach from people being washed out to sea...

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Katamanda is on a hill and has many opther restaurants and hotels in front of it. like I said though, that is what Im told.

[viktorrak]

"People concerned for the welfare of friends and relatives believed to be on or near the coast when the wave hit can call the emergency rescue center at Tel: 076-214492 or 01-6432755. For calls from outside Thailand, the numbers are Tel: 66 76-214492 or Tel: 66 1 643 2755." (from Phuket Gazette website)

does it have any sense to call these numbers? can they help? can they tell anything about the welfare of our friends, relatives?

if yes, i will try to call until i get through

[booma]

Can anyone tell me any news on any yachts moored off phuket, I have a friend staying on an 80ft one!

My deepest feelings to all those who have been affected by this huge catastrophy.

My fears are now that he death toll will rise dramatically, I am praying that it won't!

[ThaiLover1]

How do you come to know what happened?... Who called who, and when...

Stop fantasizing and pointing fingers, please. You have no idea what you're talking about.

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The answer is simply Google News. It tells you all, within minutes of the event.

Try this link for further education:

Google News (tidal wave)

[Tornado]

I have three mates on Phi Phi, Ive been trying to call them for hours, but no news - they are on holidays and only left Phuket yesterday. Im sure they are fine though.

[logpoacher]

I have had two phonecalls from the UK, and several calls from outside Thailand that were dropped when I answered them, asking me about this. So as soon as I got home home I turned on the TV: all the Thai channels which I tuned to assuming they would have more up to date news for such an imortant event in this part of the world had the news about what members of the royal family have been doing today, a couple of soap operas and what some hiso people have been doing. I then tuned into BBC World which has dropped all its normal programs and is 100% covering the disaster. When the scheduled news programs arrived on Thai TV their coverage was either copied from CNN and BBC World or in one case a Thai woman talking about how her father, formerly a famous politician, had died in the disaster.

The latest is that I see the Thai mobile phone companies are making big announcements about whose subscribers can phone for free from the affected areas, I have tried phoning friends there and the system is down, so how generous is that.

Why do we westerners attach such a bizarrely high value to the lives of unimportant / poor people? We're just weird!

[gregor200]

My friend with his family are flying to kata Noi (KataThani) today. As they were stranded in Bangkok, they will get the plane at 19:30. Am curious, how KataThani looks like now.

[Ted]

My heart goes out to all who have been effected.

The following link from the bbc contains eyewitness accounts, sadly with many of them coming from Thailand.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4125619.stm

[george]

More member pictures here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23308

[capt_canada42]

Can anyone tell me any news on any yachts moored off phuket, I have a friend staying on an 80ft one!

My deepest feelings to all those who have been affected by this huge catastrophy.

My fears are now that he death toll will rise dramatically, I am praying that it won't!

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Your friends are fine the yeaghts were all okay from what I have seen

[gregor200]

I have had two phonecalls from the UK, and several calls from outside Thailand that were dropped when I answered them, asking me about this.  So as soon as I got home home I turned on the TV: all the Thai channels which I tuned to assuming they would have more up to date news for such an imortant event in this part of the world had the news about what members of the royal family have been doing today, a couple of soap operas and what some hiso people have been doing.  I then tuned into BBC World which has dropped all its normal programs and is 100% covering the disaster.  When the scheduled news programs arrived on Thai TV their coverage was either copied from CNN and BBC World or in one case a Thai woman talking about how her father, formerly a famous politician, had died in the disaster.

The latest is that I see the Thai mobile phone companies are making big announcements about whose subscribers can phone for free from the affected areas, I have tried phoning friends there and the system is down, so how generous is that.

Why do we westerners attach such a bizarrely high value to the lives of unimportant / poor people?  We're just weird!

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I reached my friend by mobile phone (AIS) at about 17:45 thai time. Was talking about 10 minutes with her (good uninterrupted phone quality to Germany). She told me she nearly died, when the water was coming into her room near bangla road. She will sleep in her car this night and go back home tomorrow.

[bobrcb]

Update:

Phuket coast swamped after Sumatra earthquake

PHUKET:--  Emergency response units have been scrambled after waters off Phuket surged onto land this morning, washing away homes on the east coast and causing damage at resorts all along the west coast.

The sea rose after tremors from an earthquake just before 7 am off Sumatra, Indonesia, that measured 8.1 on the Richter scale.

At 11 am, Phuket International Hospital confirmed that at least 10 people had been admitted for serious injuries, and that many more were expected to arrive.

At Bangkok Phuket Hospital, many other injured people had been received, though a total could not be provided.

The Gazette has received reports of deaths in Kalim, in Thalang, though that report has yet to be confirmed.

Kawee Sukunthamath, Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), has told the Gazette that homes along the west coast are being evacuated as a precaution.

The move follows waters at Khao Khat, on the east coast, reaching up to about 300 meters inland, washing coastal homes and vehicles away. People were holding on to whatever they could to stop from being swept away.

In Patong, Gazette columnist Woody Leonard reported, “A giant wave went up the beach, at least as far up as Beach Rd … People were running from the beach as fast as they could. The beach is devastated … There were a lot of people on the beach, [and they were] swept away by the wave.”

The waters reached as far inland as the Club Andaman Resort.

K. Kawee said that the tremors were also felt in Phang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang and Pattani. The Gazette received a report that the surge left a Royal Thai Navy ship at Tab Lamu naval base beached.

--Phuket Gazette 2004-12-26

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[capt_canada42]

My friend with his family are flying to kata Noi (KataThani) today. As they were stranded in Bangkok, they will get the plane at 19:30. Am curious, how KataThani looks like now.

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The Kata Thani has been redecorated and you can see right through the building from road to the sea

[Ajarn]

The answer is simply Google News. It tells you all, within minutes of the event.

Try this link for further education

And the part of your fantasy where some guy is sitting somewhere and not telephoning Thailand, etc, etc...??

This is not the time or place for such ignorant nonsense... Please don't try to pass off your clueless fantasies as facts... People here want to know REAL facts about this terrible situation, and your baseless accusations don't help at all.

[kat]

Does anyone know about the marine park near Malaysia? Were those islands affected?

[bobrcb]

Sad to hear about this tragedy at what is probably one of the busiest times for tourists. I am flying out from England on tuesday to visit friends in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Would I be right in thinking that the east coast of Thailand has not been effected by the tidal waves? If anyone has any information, I would welcome a response. Thank you.

[gregor200]

My friend with his family are flying to kata Noi (KataThani) today. As they were stranded in Bangkok, they will get the plane at 19:30. Am curious, how KataThani looks like now.

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The Kata Thani has been redecorated and you can see right through the building from road to the sea

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How long does it take to clean it ? Are there any guests now ? Is water and electricity working ?. What about KataBhuri. Maybe they can stay there. It is more in the back.

Anytime I wish them a good night after a 30 hours tavel time from Germany now,

by the way, what about the limousine transport from the airport (am I joking now??)

[Superfly]

Does anybody know how badly Krabi was affected?

Specifically the area where the Sheraton is located?

[tuky]

My wife on the east coast of the gulf didn't even know anything had happened until this afternoon when she gave me a call.

bobrcb, no need to worry there mate.

[Ajarn]

Sad to hear about this tragedy at what is probably one of the busiest times for tourists. I  am flying out from England on tuesday to visit friends in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Would I be right in thinking that the east coast of Thailand has not been effected by the tidal waves? If anyone has any information, I would welcome a response. Thank you.

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No Thai tv news reports of any problems on that side, that I've seen...

Edited December 26, 2004 by Ajarn

[haha]

my buddy in phuket town told me he is ok.

[gburns57au]

This is not the time to start pointing fingers or asking about your own travel plans....there is a lot of work to be done, not just in Thailand but the other affected countries too.....many are missing presumed dead...others have been left homeless...lets just hope that as many people as possible from all countries have survived this quirk of nature and can rebuild their lives as soon as possible.

My sincere sympathies to those who have lost and I wish good look for those who are still unsure.

[viktorrak]

any users here online from Patong? if yes, please give me a pm!!! i am seriously worried about my friend in Patong. no news about him...not even sms...it goes through but no reply...hope he is ok!!

i would appreciate any kind of help/news/advice/whatever

[mr_lob]

Does anybody know how badly Krabi was affected?

Specifically the area where the Sheraton is located?

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apparently 2 longtail boats in the sheraton swimming pool

[Richard W]

Is it the new way to clean Thailand from "non bona fide tourist"?

After this stupid comment, I would like to say sorry for those (foreigners or locals) who have loose life, familly or goods in this horible moment.

Coming from a sea coast where earthquakes are usual, I know how terrible it can be.I just wonder why it was no alert and evacuation before the wave hit Phuket? Does the first world country as Thailand don't have any capacity to notice something like that????? If someone knew the tsunami was coming , and no alert was given (for any reasons) I consider it's criminal, and certainly action should be taken agains this (or these) people(s) that have stay silent when the wave was still far.

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The quake was felt on Phuket (as well as Bangkok and Chiangmai). One could argue that that constituted warning.

[RDN]

Very sad day in Phuket. Just managed to get the Internet working again - been down most of the day.

Tried to get to Patong or Karon earlier, but couldn't - all roads blocked by police barriers to cars and trucks. I'm sure I could've found a back road, but really didn't want to go - what I saw in Rawai was bad enough.

I did manage to get to the main beach at Rawai, but not very far as there were some fishing boats across the road. Not sure how they got there - whether pulled there for safety, or dumped there by the wave. So I took some pictures at the Sea gypsy village where a lot of people were looking at the sea.

I couldn't figure out what it was they were staring at, so started to take some pictures. Then I realised that the sea was coming in. And coming very fast. The first picture below was taken at 14:46, the second at 14:47 and the last at 14:49. Wish my camera recorded the seconds too, then could have calculated the speed.

The sea seemed to be oscillating - just coming in and going out like it was trying to settle.

14:46

14:47

14:49

[igotworms]

My heart goes out to all involved, a terrible thing to happen, not a very merry xmas after all.

Tornado, Could you give me some info please, I think not as its on high ground but is Katamanda (the luxury villa resort) in Kata Noi damaged at all?

I just called a mate in Kata and he said "hasnt been touched", anyone else here in Phuket add more info for Dave?

cheers

Thanks mate.

And considering that Phi Phi has 200 dead alone I think the Thailand figure is well out..

One of my friends is a diver who was working from Khao Lak to similans.. she has been rescued by military boats.. Dont know if airlifted or how she has been made safe..

Is this a confirmed figure?

I've heard nothing of Pi-Pi. Where does this 200 dead come from?

Bangtao beach was hit pretty hard...and I heard a few bungalow outfits were washed away. I couldn't get to the beach to check it out. I talked to a few tourists who were walking briskly away from Bangtao beach and theys aid nearly everything was under water.

Surin beach has relatively little damage, all the restaurants on the beach were still intact when I went there this afternoon.

I heard Kamala beach was hit hard and a few people are confirmed dead there.

I also heard that the restaurant and swimming pool at the Marriot was destroyed.