Khaolak, Thailand Before And After The 2004 Tsunami

[@kilIstation]

Thank you for showing us your experience. There are no words to express how awful this catastrophic event was.

[@expatlivinginthailand]

Thanks for your comment. It was indeed a real tragedy. Before I moved to Thailand to live, Khaolak had become my favourite place for vacations and I had gotten to know some Thais there quite well. One of them died in the tsunami. As you say, 'no words'.

I stayed at the Bang Niang Beach Resort a total of 3 times and became good friends with the owner! My last visit ended on 26.November 2004! I also returned to the place, but in March...and it broke my heart! I continued to go to Khao Lak until today, at least once a year ( minus pandemic- times) and it is still my favorite place in Thailand!

[@expatlivinginthailand]

We may even have passed each other! Here's my story. I went to Phuket for the first time in 1992 and loved it, but when I returned in 1996 it had changed and I really didn't like it. In the early 00's I was in Chiang Mai and had a flight booked to Phuket, but I got friendly with a German couple who were heading from Chiang Mai to Khaolak. I flew to Phuket airport, but instead of heading south to the Phuket beaches I got on a bus and headed north to Khaolak. I loved it there and went back several times, always staying at Bang Niang beach where I got to know some locals quite well. I was last there in April 2019 - this time with my wife and kids instead of being a single man - and I met some locals who still remembered me all those years later! I will always have fond memories of Khaolak and what happened there really hurt. Thanks for your comment!

[@olgatrilogymartin3143]

Thanks for sharing

[@expatlivinginthailand]

Pleasure! Thanks for your comment.

[@klaracarroll3672]

Klll😊

[@koy3736]

Wow! while watching your video i suddenly miss khaolak. I’ve been there Feb27-June30 as a student intern (i came originally from the philippines) and i worked in graceland khaolak beach resort. I miss everything there! Such an amazing place. Amazing beach, entertainment, tour, and a place that has a history to offer.

[@expatlivinginthailand]

I think I started going there around 2000 when I got fed up with Phuket. I went quite a few times, including a few months before the tsunami. It used to be very quiet with small hotels and guesthouses. Many left after the tsunami, and the big operators moved in. I took my family there a few years ago and we had a good time, but the character of the place has changed. Anyway, thanks for your comment!

[@nancytestani1470]

Great beaches, great loss of life because the tourists were there

[@expatlivinginthailand]

As a result of Phuket becoming more and more overtouristed, tourists started going to Khaolak instead. I was one of them. Just as the area started to take off, this happened.

[@penangtv6108]

I really hope if another one happens there will be no lost of life... 😢 It's strange how with so many of these disasters, you always seem to hear about how so & so building only just opened, only to be destroyed 😕 Somehow makrs me think of all the new hotels which seemed to be operating less then a year then 2020 happened... There was a movie of this called The Impossible.

[@expatlivinginthailand]

Penang suffered as well, but not quite as badly. I remember reading somewhere that this was a 1 in 400 year event. There's a lot of money to be made with beachfront hotels, so it seems it's a risk that some people are willing to take. The businesses that opened just before the tsunami were very unlucky. These things are completely unpredictable. I also heard that when the tsunami was coming a lot of people stood on the beach taking photos. If it happens again, maybe they will have the sense to run inland. I also read that no animals were killed. When animals sensed the danger they ran away, proving once more that the average animal is far more intelligent than the average person! It was a terrible event, but we should never forget the power of nature.

[@bernhardberkheij2661]

So you still like Khao Lak I understand, despite the big boys moving in?

[@expatlivinginthailand]

I took the family there a few years ago. We stayed at a large hotel, which was very family friendly, and the wife and kids loved it. I also enjoyed it, but Khaolak is very different now compared to when I first went around 2001. There's a very wide road now, and lots of the small businesses have gone. It's changed but, in my opinion, it's still far preferable to places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui.

[@bernhardberkheij2661]

@@expatlivinginthailand Thank you for sharing your experience. Do you reckon it is also enjoyable for couples? Also, could you perhaps share fun excursions to embark on whilst there?

[@expatlivinginthailand]

@@bernhardberkheij2661 Hello Bernhard. Compared to some other well-known Thai resorts, Khaolak is a lot quieter without all the raunchy nightlife. Whether you enjoy it, depends on the type of person you are. There's a beach and the big hotels have big pools, so it's a good place to relax. If you're the type of person who loves Pattaya, you probably won't enjoy Khaolak, and vice-versa. Horses for courses. Regarding excursions, on my last trip there we went to Phang-nga Bay, where there are lots of limestone karsts jutting out of the sea and, of course, the famous James Bond island. There are also some sea-gypsy villages on the water. You can take a boat ride and it's really enjoyable. A little way inland from Khaolak there are some waterfalls, some hot springs, and an elephant camp. On one visit to Khaolak many years ago, I rented a car and drove up to Takua Pa. This is quite an important provincial town without many tourists, so it gives you a flavour of real Thailand, as opposed to tourist Thailand. Of course, Khaolak isn't far from Phuket. If you were so inclined, you could take an excursion there. I don't care for the beach resorts, but some parts of Phuket old town are attractive and interesting. The downside of Phuket is that it's overtouristed, meaning that there are constant traffic jams and everywhere is crowded.

[@nancytestani1470]

Lot of people massed graved there, I belive

[@expatlivinginthailand]

Possibly up to 4,500 people killed. A tragic event.

[@k.gspianoworldjourneyschan437]

My heart still in 2023 Goes out to everybody and there families there! If i can ever pick a one way ticket somewere, its here. They will have to kill me to take me back because i lovebthe people, the country and the environment!! Love 4ever kenny ❤

[@expatlivinginthailand]

Hello Kenny. Yes, a very sad day. They say it's a once in 400 year event. Hopefully, next time it happens, people will be more prepared.

[@brilhodosoltarotecartomancia]

God doesnt want us human being to be living so close to the ocean, rivers, etc... this is a sign ... I hope we understand we are just a tiny ones compared to the power of nature... so sorry for the lost

[@expatlivinginthailand]

🙏

[@jayceekali4317]

and the McDonald's is now actually closed due to Covid-19, as much of the other businesses in Khao Lak are....

[@expatlivinginthailand]

Really? Thanks for the update. Here in Hat Yai there are four McDonald's. One has been closed for a couple of years. Since the start of this month when they dropped the Thailand Pass more tourists are coming, but it's nothing like pre-Covid.

[@jayceekali4317]

@@expatlivinginthailand I heard one local guy say, that the might open it for the next season sometime in September.