Economys

Impact of tsunami in Phuket's economy

The economic impact of the tsunami on Thailand was considerable, though not as great as in poorer countries such as Indonesia. The sectors most badly damaged have been tourism and fishing. The beach resorts along the Andaman Sea coast have been much damaged. Many Thai people who owned hotels and other small businesses have been ruined, and the Thai government provided large amounts of capital to enable the recovery of the private sector. Locations that got hit the hardest was Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi, and that is where the economy developed.

 Phuket also took some time to recover, which is one reason why Thailand has strongly backed the installed Tsunami warning system. By 12 January 2005 some of the affected resorts in the south had opened again, and the Thai government had begun an advertising campaign to bring visitors back to the area as quickly as possible.

Impacts

Impact of the tsunami

Tourism is very important to Phuket. Beach and resorts along the coast of Similan Island and Phuket have been extremely damaged. Small hotels and tiny businesses have been ruined too. Tourism makes around 12% of the overall GDP in the economy of Thailand. The places that got hit by tsunami is where the economy is developed and where the jobs and businesses were built. This areas have been the main part of the economy since 1982. After the tsunami finished, 30% of hotels were destroyed, 90% drop in hotel bookings. In January 2005, people that came to Thailand had drop down 26%.

100,000 lost their jobs and 1 million people in danger.

Fishing is very important to Phuket. Some people lost their jobs because their boats or ships were destroyed. 4913 large boats destroyed, 3714 small boats destroyed, 14111 traps and 1871 nets have been damaged. Some live near the coast, for example Chao-Lay, their homes were destroyed because they lived near the coast of Phuket. Percent of fishing went down 4%.

Patong

Patong after the Tsunami

On the 26^th of December (The Boxing Day) many tourist and local Phuket people died. Tourism is very important to Phuket Island. Beaches and resorts along the coast side of Similan Island and Phuket have been extremely damage including Patong Beach. Small hotels and tiny businesses have been ruined too.
 
Tourism makes around 12% of the overall GDP in the economy of Thailand.  The places that got hit by the tsunami is where the economy is developed and where the jobs and businesses were built. This areas have been the main part of the economy since 1982.

After the tsunami ended, 30% of hotels were destroyed and 90% drop down 26% and 100,000 lost their jobs. One million people in danger because of the tsunami. Patong beach has lost over 50% of the income of tourist. People are scared to come to visit Phuket which makes Patong very quiet but in 2008 the amount of tourist income have gotten better.

This picture was taken when the rescue and clean-up crew survey a flooded lobby at the Sea pearl Beach Hotel along Patong Beach on Phuket Island  

The Tsunami In 2004

The Tsunami

Thailand (Phuket) was one of the countries that was hit the hardest by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami. Due to proximity of the Andaman coasts of Thailand situated just approximately 500 km east of the earthquake epicenter, the tsunami took just 2 hours to reach and strike the western coastline of the country.The Thai government reported 4,812 confirmed deaths and 8,457 injuries form the tsunami. There was 4,499 missing after the country was hit by the tsunami.

The tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake on the 26 of December 2004. The Thai authorities estimate that at least 8,150 are likely to have died.250 people were reported dead, including tourists.

The tsunami struck the west coast of Phuket island, flooding and causing damage to almost all the major beaches such as Patong, Karon, Kamala, and Kata beach.There was no warning of the first wave so people had no idea it was coming.

(For someone who don't know what a Tsunami is, a Tsunami is actually a series of waves, best described as a "wave train")

An Overview Of Phuket

Phuket Thailand (เกาะภูเก็ต)

Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand. Phuket is located on the southern of Thailand. Phuket town was found in the first century by colonists from India. In the 16th Century, tin came into Phuket's economical equation and the Dutch, as well as the French, came to the island because of it (Phuket even had a French-born governor at one time). The British were not far behind and they later sent Captain Francis Light to scout out the possibilities of controlling the strategically important Malacca Straits, using Phuket as a base. At the end of the nineteenth century, the island’s interior still remained relatively untouched. Much of it was still covered in ancient rain forest. However, at the beginning of the twentieth century, large areas of the island were cleared to make way for rubber plantations, irreparably altering the landscape of the island.

Tourism began on the island in the 1970s with the first beach bungalows at Patong Beach(หาดป่าตอง). Which give more money to the island. Today, tourism is by far the island’s biggest industry with over 3 million tourists visiting the island annually, making Phuket one of the most popular travel destinations in South-East Asia.