Thailand marks 6th tsunami anniversary

PHUKET,Dec 26(TNA)- People living along the Andaman coastline of Thailand conducted activities to remember the Indian Ocean tsunami that hit this part of southern Thailand on December 26, 2004.
In Ban Nam Khem village in Takua Pa district of Phangnga province, a number of people and relatives of tsunami dead victims gathered at the Ban Nam Khem tsunami memorial park Sunday. There were ceremonies of three religions. Speeches were delivered to mourn the deaths and participants spent a one-minute silence to respect the dead before floral offerings were placed.
At Wat Laem Phet temple on Patong beach of Phuket province, 200 Buddhist monks organized a ceremony for the blessings of dead victims. Relatives of Thai and foreign dead victims attended the ceremony. There will also be a light up night event on Patong beach Sunday night.
Representatives of ambassadors to Thailand as well as representatives of the government and the private sectors will participate in the activity.
In Trang, there has not been any ceremony to remember the tsunami for three years. Tourism is quiet today, especially in tsunami-hit areas like Pak Meng beach, because of the rumor that there will be another tsunami on December 30.
On Phi Phi island, Samarn Saengsa-ard, deputy governor of Krabi province, presided over a ceremony to remember the tsunami which killed as many as 700 people there. There were ceremonies of three religions to pray for the blessings of the dead victims. Over 300 Thai and foreign people attended the ceremony.
More than 5,400 people were killed when a tsunami swept Thailand’s beaches six years ago.(TNA)