UN Thailand :: Media Monitoring

Impact on Thailand

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   - Livelihood recovery
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     rehabilitation
   - Disaster preparedness

Six Months On

Challenges and achievements six months after the tsunami

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Sources: Bangkok Post, MCOT, ThaisNews, The Nation

23 August 2005:

Tsunami corpses to be moved
The bodies of tsunami victims at the Mai Khao morgue in Phuket will be transferred to the permanent morgue at Ban Bang Maruan in Phang Nga's Takua Pa district by late next year. According to a senior police chief, if the 1,624 bodies could not be identified within a few months, they would be removed from refrigerated containers and buried to save money.

24 August 2005:

Australia donates equipment for Tsunami victim identification
Australian Ambassador to Thailand presided over a ceremony in Phuket to hand over US$10-million (Bt410 million) equipment to identify tsunami disaster victims to the Royal Thai Police's Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) unit. The donation includes computers and office equipment, as well as medical gear for hospitals and morgues, all for the use of the Disaster Victim Identification Centre (DVI). According to an official, there are 1,522 bodies awaiting identification: 129 are believed to be foreigners and 1393 Thai and foreign migrant workers.

26 August 2005:

Youngsters from tsunami-hit provinces to tour the capital
Groups of schoolchildren from tsunami-hit provinces will be treated to action-packed weekends in the capital. The project hosted by the children's museum and the Government Lottery Office is aimed at providing a change of environment and a rare travel opportunity for about 240 youngsters who are living with the after-effects of the tsunami disaster.

26 August 2005:

Report on government spending
Reporting on the progress of government spending on tsunami-relief projects, the deputy prime minister said that of the total Bt1.303 billion in donations, Bt521 million had been paid out, Bt94 million had been approved pending payment to those requesting assistance and Bt688 million remained to be allocated.

26 August 2005:

Five tourism-related associations plan tsunami assistance
The Association of Thai Travel Agents, Thai Hotel Association, Thai Travel Agents Association, Domestic Travel Association and Eco-Tourism Association will unveil a new tourism council next week to help tsunami-hit businesses get back on their feet in the absence of adequate government assistance. The council which will have more than 4,000 members from a wide range of tourism-related companies around the country would play the same role as the Tourism Council of Thailand, except that it would assist businesses all over the country and not just those in the South.

27 August 2005:

Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga have struggled to recover from the tsunami
Compared to the same period last year, tourist arrivals were down 40 per cent in Phuket and spending was down 30 per cent in the first seven months of the year countering the rest of the Asia-Pacific region which is doing well. To boost international tourism in the long term, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is spending Bt15 million for universities to conduct market research in 15 countries in Asia, North America and Europe.

27 August 2005:

FAO given support to Thailand on Tsunami rehabilitation
During the past several months, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in the Asia-Pacific region has continually provided support to Thailand on the rehabilitation operation in the Tsunami affected southern provinces. The assistance was channelled through a variety of academic programs held in the affected southern provinces. Furthermore, in July 2005, the FAO had given support to two newly developed projects of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. They involved the rehabilitation of the agricultural and fishery sectors, and the restoration of mangrove forests, mangrove trees and the damaged coastal beaches.

29 August 2005:

Elderly ignored after tsunami
Study conducted by HelpAge International finds seniors in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka or Indonesia received no special attention from relief agencies despite being left alone to take care of grandchildren and other survivors from within their extended families. After the tsunami disaster, the aged are forced to work even though many of them have lost their traditional means of livelihood and are finding it difficult to adjust in new vocations. They are also facing difficulties in getting the required medical treatment as well as financial assistance from the government.