Twelve years after the Tsunami there are still 412 dead not taken home

[Grubster]

6 hours ago, Zaz09 said:

I emailed many details of a person who I am sure was lost in the tsunami to the international red cross as well as the Thai organization who was trying to do the identifying. I sent them 2 times along with pictures of Tattoos  and very big descriptions of the person, I never heard anything from them, they didn't even have the decency to reply to me. 

That is really sad, but not too surprising.

[Honthy]

47 minutes ago, Goingmad said:

Sorry but you are partly wrong. Yes, some could be family.

But it is a fact that many of the small hotels hire illegal workers as maids , laundry , and kitchen help.

Burma and Laos. 

 

Yes, this is what I understand. Hotels have illegal workers and they are not really interested in remembering to their illegal workers. But these illegal workers had families. Where are they? They are not illegal. Whey they do not search their disappeared relatives? That is what I cannot cope. Even if they live in Burma, Lao, Cambodia or the darkest country in the Earth. Why 12 years are not enough to realize that someone is missing from their family?

[stevenl]

Disgusting to hear the Thai authorities kicked out the German forensic team for not having work permits. Immediately following the tsunami I did hear many foreigners who were volunteers and assisting with the mess down in Khao Lak & Phuket were charged and penalized by Thai authorities for doing volunteer work without work permits.
 
 

They were warned, nobody was charged or penalised.

Sent from my ROBBY using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[lostinisaan]

6 hours ago, seancbk said:

 

What does it cost to get a body shipped back to wherever they came from?

Maybe some people think that the person is dead and buried and where really doesn't matter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       It all depends on religious beliefs. And it does matter for a lot of people where their loved ones are buried. Whenever I can make it back home, I always visit my mom's grave and talk to her, bring her some flowers and spend some time there. It's also a part of the process to say goodbye to somebody you've loved and a grave can be the boundary of life and death. 

[lostinisaan]

Here are some particular photos of places where bodies were stored, people who did a lot of work, plenty of forensic work and techniques that have been used to identify the victims. Some photos are not for people who'd never seen dead bodies.

 

 

1. Locations of the Investigations Sites. 

2.Phuket Police Station with the DVI ( Disaster Victim Identification.

3. Crowded working conditions at Site I a.

4. Site II  at Wat Ban Muang on January 2, 2005

5.Site I b at Wat Tha Cha Chai Phuket, December 31st. 

6. Wat Yan Yao (Site Ia) in January 2005 representing  one  of  the  places  for  storing  of  the victims and the main working place until February 2005

2005.

 

7. The TTVI IMC (Thai Tsunami Victim Identification Information Management Center) on Phuket Island established in the middle of January to organize the identification process.

8. Inside the TTVI IMC (Thai Tsunami Victim Identification Information Management Center) showing the working places for data collection and comparison.

9.Site II with the container village representing the working places of the medico-legal investigations and the storing of the victims.

10. Container Lines for the investigation process of the victim at Site II (outside view).

11. Container Lines at Site II (inside view)

12. Victims in an advanced stage of decomposition; the bodies are covered with dry ice to slow down the decay.

14. Plausibility control prior to the release of a victim 

15. X-ray showing the missing second premolar in the left lower jaw. Lower jaw with the milk tooth (red circle) at this position.

16. Lower jaw with crowns on the front teeth

17. Specific  partial  denture  of  the  lower  jaw fixed by clamps at the crowns 

18. Structure of the organisation of the TTVI IMC (Thai Tsunami Victim Identification Information Management Center)

19. Tattoo found on a victim representing a dolphin

20. Result of DNA STR analysis obtained by automated fluorescent capillary electrophoresis showing an incomplete profile. Each peak (or pair of peaks) represents the genotype of a given STR locus.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[lvr181]

 "The German forensic team of the BKA immediately made it to Thailand to help identify the countless dead bodies. But Thai authorities kicked them out and blamed them for working without a work permit? "

 

Maybe it was a "loss of face" (not uncommon in Asia) because the Government was unable to deal with the situation? To this day, Thai governments are still reluctant to seek the assistance of overseas experts to help solve some problems.

 

"I did it my way" (Frank Sinatra) comes to mind.

[Stargeezr]

I visited Phuket 2 years after  theTsunami  as well as the year before, and I was surprised

of how well most of the places were cleaned up. I seen Kamala Beach area  where all the

sand was pushed inland up to kms  and flooded Fantasea  area. My Thai relative that lives

in Phuket was busy for over 2 weeks hauling people around and helping where he could.

  There can be many reasons why  some of these people have not been claimed or moved,

and I like the reason  of  they were buried in the tropical place  where  they had been

enjoying their lives, before the Tsunami hit. Families may be at peace with the place

they are  buried  at.

Geezer

[watcharacters]

23 hours ago, Goingmad said:

Many were illegal hotel or restaurant workers. Hotels not claim.

 

 

 

Did you take a count?

[watcharacters]

16 hours ago, TSF said:

Disgusting to hear the Thai authorities kicked out the German forensic team for not having work permits. Immediately following the tsunami I did hear many foreigners who were volunteers and assisting with the mess down in Khao Lak & Phuket were charged and penalized by Thai authorities for doing volunteer work without work permits.

 

 

 

 

 All things considered it's hard to expect anything different..

 

"Disgusting to hear the Thai authorities kicked out the German forensic team for not having work permits."

[TSF]

10 hours ago, lvr181 said:

 "The German forensic team of the BKA immediately made it to Thailand to help identify the countless dead bodies. But Thai authorities kicked them out and blamed them for working without a work permit? "

 

Maybe it was a "loss of face" (not uncommon in Asia) because the Government was unable to deal with the situation? To this day, Thai governments are still reluctant to seek the assistance of overseas experts to help solve some problems.

 

"I did it my way" (Frank Sinatra) comes to mind.

Same thing happened in 1989 when Cyclone Gay ripped through the Gulf of Thailand and caused so much devastation. There were numerous fishing vessels out in the open water, the drillship Seacrest capsized with great loss of life. The Thai military were conducting search & rescue patrols of the area immediately after. It just so happens that the US fleet were in Pattaya for R&R at the time, and they offered to assist with the searches. And their offer was refused.

[DM07]

self censored

[Goingmad]

18 hours ago, Honthy said:

Yes, this is what I understand. Hotels have illegal workers and they are not really interested in remembering to their illegal workers. But these illegal workers had families. Where are they? They are not illegal. Whey they do not search their disappeared relatives? That is what I cannot cope. Even if they live in Burma, Lao, Cambodia or the darkest country in the Earth. Why 12 years are not enough to realize that someone is missing from their family?

So they are just going to get in a plane and fly to Phuket ?

Let me tell you that the Burmese Farmers had no idea about this earth quake. How many people got washed into the ocean and never found ??

Do you remember the big Typhoon that hit Burma about 5 years ago ?

The Burmese government told the world that only 40,000 people died. But the UN reported they believe over

200,000 died.

[Beats56]

On 24/12/2016 at 1:07 PM, lostinisaan said:

 

 

  Reading your post is really frightening and the village Baan Nam Khem has been my home for a few months before the tsunami destroyed almost all houses and killed quite a lot of good friends.

 

   We moved to the lower northeast before the tsunami and saw what happened on TV.  Many phone calls but mostly no reception. We saw a friend's ID card where people were asking if someone had seen her. It was a nightmare I'll never forget.

 

  Hollywood even made a movie ( The impossible from 2012)  based on true events of a Spanish family http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419/ and it seems that it was in Khao Lak/Takua Pa province where Ban Naam Khem belongs to. 

 

  I drove down to Baan Naam Khem 4 weeks after the deadly tsunami and I couldn't believe my own eyes. The only thing that was intact were most parts of the school and a few buildings.  I tried to find the place where our friends lived before, but I couldn't even locate the area.

 

The smell of dead people being in salt water for weeks and the hot sun creates a smell that you never get out of your nose. I saw when they pulled out a few body parts when trying to find the house we lived in and I couldn't believe it. 

 

 We stayed for two weeks and found out that a lot of people died and the smell of death was all over the place for a long time. Found bodies were brought to the temple on the hill, but after a few weeks of being in salt water, there's no way to even say if it was a Caucasian or African.

 

A big fishermen trawler looked like somebody parked it there, almost undamaged, bizarre. The Royal family ship in Khao Lak's still there to remind of the deadly Christmas. 

 

I remember everything as it was yesterday. The German forensic team of the BKA immediately made it to Thailand to help identify the countless dead bodies. But Thai authorities kicked them out and blamed them for working without a work permit?  Germany donated 10 Million Euros as first aid ( America came up with $ one million) and they blamed specialists with high tech equipment doing their scary job for free that they worked in Thailand without the needed permission?

 

  Is there a type of work permit that's called Work permit type XXX for humanitarian purposes in extreme situations where countless people have lost their lives and the local forensic team has no idea how to continue with their search? 

 

They had to pack their stuff and leave Thailand and me in tears. The illegal disco that was built on temple grounds in Khao Lak, the luxury resort between Khao Lk and Takua Pa where I've stayed a few weeks was also completely destroyed.

 

   The donated money never reached the suffering people. I've lost all my photos thru 2 dying hard drives, please post photos, should anyone have some photos from the time and area. 

 

   Merry Christmas 2016. 

 

 

 

Very sad and shame on the Thai government for not allowing the German folks to help...and for free.

[Wilsonandson]

I found this article:-

Exclusive: Thai police see little hope of putting names to about 370 tsunami victims.

Tue Dec 23, 2014 reuters

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0K10H020141223?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Might be of interest, a similar news story from 2 years ago.

 

Quote from the article:-

Takua Pa police never looked inside until recently when, after requests from Reuters, they opened the container ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the Dec. 26 tsunami when the items can, by official regulation, be put up for auction.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/unclaimed-possessions-boxing-day-tsunamis-victims-1481726

This website's report of this news looks similar to e-bay. Just missing the bids.

[Prbkk]

It wasn't only the Germans denied a timely chance to assist: the Japanese were ready in a flash, in Thailand and in Aceh, but bureaucratic bungling delayed their deployment. To be fair, it was such a devastating event it is almost understandable that the authorities were overwhelmed. But that's all the more reason to accept the help, particularly when those offering have far greater expertise in such matters.

[Wilsonandson]

I haven't seen this footage before, to think that 12 years ago to the day this happen in Koh Phi Phi. This makes my stomach churn. What a horrific tragedy this was. To all those affected and victims of the Tsunami 2004, you will not be forgotten!

 

[Honthy]

2 hours ago, Goingmad said:

So they are just going to get in a plane and fly to Phuket ?

Let me tell you that the Burmese Farmers had no idea about this earth quake. How many people got washed into the ocean and never found ??

Do you remember the big Typhoon that hit Burma about 5 years ago ?

The Burmese government told the world that only 40,000 people died. But the UN reported they believe over

200,000 died.

 

Could be true. If it is so, it is very sad.

[watcharacters]

 

 

If the OP information is correct, I'd recommend a "respectful" cremation while also keeping a DNA record of each victim.   That way anyone in the future wondering about the possibility of a missing loved one being  among those cremated could at a cost submit their DNA for comparison.

[melvinmelvin]

Tragic indeed.

Lost 4 close friends in Kao Lak, while my lass and I was in BKK having delayed our return to Kao Lak.

 

It is not that infrequent that tsunamis occur in Asia, although not at the same scale, but they occur every now and then.

They are not difficult to spot, well in advance, in day time (having light), but of course you need to understand what you see.

Rapid extreme "low tide" out of synch is a clear sign that something may happen soon.

 

The average holidayer wouldn't understand this.

Surprises me that very experienced fishermen having spent all their life at sea didn't pick up on this.

 

(there are also, normally, clearly visible signs in advance before severe hurricanes/cyclones/tornadoes etc hit,

 but again - you need to understand what you see)

 

Can only hope that there are some educated beach guards around now.

Tsunamis occur every now and then, the real big ones will happen again - in all likelihood.

 

 

 

 

 

[tukkytuktuk]

Rip Boxing day tsunami victims. Not just Thailand but all countries affected. Especially this island, Lhoknga in Indonesia.

[gk10002000]

On 12/23/2016 at 10:08 PM, TSF said:

Not everybody keeps close contact with their families. Some of these bodies could be foreigners who no longer had any contact with any of their family or relations, so nobody knows where they are or if they were in Thailand at the time of the tsunami.

 

Same thing happened in Darwin when Cyclone Tracy hit, I heard there were hundreds of corpses that were unclaimed, there were lots of transient people in Darwin - hippies, hobos, drifters, people who had left their families behind years ago and had no further contact with their pasts. 

Add to that many friends or families simply don't have the means or resources to pursue something like this from 1/2 way around the world.  On my second trip to Thailand I was on Ko Samet during the tsunami, and luckily there only because my friend changed our travel arrangements which were Phuket to Ko Samet the day before!  I would have been smack in the middle of things.  We were in Pattaya and he had been to Thailand several times before so for whatever reason he changed things at the last minute.  Good choice

[balo]

I am not surprised the bodies has not been claimed.  Most of them are probably Thai workers and they drowned in the waves, maybe family members were living far away and just gave up hope in the end. 

 

2004 is not a good memory for me but I was in Bangkok and could only watch the disaster on the news. I lost 2 Norwegian friends in Phuket. 

 

 

 

[lvr181]

On 12/25/2016 at 8:00 PM, Prbkk said:

It wasn't only the Germans denied a timely chance to assist: the Japanese were ready in a flash, in Thailand and in Aceh, but bureaucratic bungling delayed their deployment. To be fair, it was such a devastating event it is almost understandable that the authorities were overwhelmed. But that's all the more reason to accept the help, particularly when those offering have far greater expertise in such matters.

 

Big fish in a small pond think they know it all? Sure seems that way to me. And twelve years later they still haven't learned! 

[Goingmad]

On 25/12/2559 at 6:19 PM, Honthy said:

Could be true. If it is so, it is very sad.

100 % True.