2004 Tsunami
Khao Lak was one of the coastal areas of Thailand hardest hit by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Many people died including many foreign tourists. The final death toll was over 4000, with local unofficial estimates topping 10,000 due to the lack of accurate government censuses and the mere fact that the Burmese population were not documented or recognized as legal residents.
Most of the coastal landscape, i.e., beaches, resorts and vegetation, was destroyed by the tsunami. Some replanting programmes have been initiated and a great deal has been accomplished in the rejuvenation of surrounding foliage. Studies suggesting that coastal vegetation may have helped buffer the effects of the waves have ensured that replanting and maintenance of the coastal vegetation have become a priority in the reconstruction of the landscape.
Among the casualties were Bhumi Jensen, grandson of the King of Thailand, well-known Finnish musician and TV-host Aki Sirkesalo and his family. Almost four years old at the time, a young girl was swept away at Khao Lak and remained the subject of a media-covered intensive search despite being formally identified in August 2005 as a victim.
Since the 2004 tsunami, an early-warning system has been installed along the affected coastline. In April 2012 it received its most recent test, following an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Audible warning sirens alerted the local population to the possibility of a tsunami roughly 2 hours before estimated landfall, allowing the populace to move to higher ground inland.
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