ABSTRACT
The 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami has devastated Thailand in various areas. It caused the deaths of 8212 people, leaving 1449 children orphans. Approximately 1000 of 1757 households of indigenous groups and about 400 small-scale fishing communities were damaged. Unfortunately, most are low-income communities where financial power to recover may not be sufficient. The waves destroyed and damaged more than 6800 houses, resulting in over 7000 homeless. Although not the country most devastated by the tsunami, Thailand experienced the second largest economic impact from this extreme event. It was estimated that the impacts cost 2.09 billion USD, resulting in significant long-term livelihood issues. Environmental impacts included coastal ecological systems that suffered from debris of building and infrastructure destruction. The impacts also included damage to the coral reef and sea grass, upon which many marine species rely. In addition, sea water damaged many types of vegetation, changing land conditions and affecting existing agriculture (World Bank, 2006). This caused many agencies to react by providing relief, rehabilitation, recovery, and mitigation. The Thai government and other local and international agencies have responded with emergency assistance and rapid housing projects, redevelopment plans, and the establishment of local and regional early warning systems.
