The impact of the Tsunami on Thailands tourism.

On 26th December 2004 Tsunami struck countries of South & South East Asia. Thailand was among those countries.

Coastal buildings on Thailand's Phi Phi Island submerged.

Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

The Tsunami Killed an Estimated 225,000 people in South & South East Asia Approximately 2000 tourists reported dead or missing in Thailand. Casualties extended by lack of medical supplies, food and drinking water.

(Encyclopedia Britannica 2004)

2004 for Thailand was inauspicious. Riots Bird Flu Rising Oil Export Duties on Sea-food. The Indian Ocean Tsunami made 2005 equally chaotic.

(Britannica Book of the Year 2005)

By the start of 2008, tourism had recovered enough for local officials to confidently predicted it would take just another year to return to pre-tsunami levels, breathing hope into an industry accounting for 6 percent of Thailand's economy.

Curiosity to see tsunami debris ranked a poor last, and despite Thailands cut-rate fun package promotion, most tourists were neutral toward lowcost tour packages as a reason for their travel.

Five years after the tsunami, Patong Beach is open for business again

Thailand has high potential and marketing opportunities for medical tourism. Most foreign visitors using the service are those with high purchasing power. One reason for the new campaign is that latest estimates for visitor numbers have dropped to 1.2 million for 2009, from 1.3 million in 2008, and signs of falling numbers. The majority of Thailands medical tourist business now comes from Middle Eastern countries Hospitals have been active in investing in buildings and personnel to accommodate more patients in 2010 and 2011

The Tourism Authority of Thailand uses successful Amazing Thailand theme enhanced with the new tag line Always Amazes You The Amazing Thailand theme has gained worldwide recognition, as it built up the countrys strong brand and positioning as a destination that offers tremendous value-formoney, a unique culture, and a wide variety of experiences to visitors. This theme is being complemented by the Always Amazes You tag line to reinforce the concept of Thai-ness that makes the Kingdom a truly exceptional destination and differentiates it from other countries, as well as have confidence in traveling to Thailand for their holidays and business meetings.

Conclusion:

On The 26 December tsunami hit shores of Thailand and became its worst natural disaster. Tsunami had a major damaging impact on environment, economy, property and affected thousands of lives.

The tsunami affected hundreds of fishing villages along the Andaman coast and also destroyed the livelihood of more than 13,000 households, who were dependant on fisheries, and whipped up most of the fishing resources. These impacts caused serious long-term consequences for tourism and fisheries, as well as the livelihood of many thousands of people. The government allocated recovery budget for the damaged facilities.

Many hospitals and health centres were destroyed or damaged. In some places, water supplies were disrupted and contaminated, making clean drinking water difficult to obtain. Sanitation facilities and sewage treatment works were damaged. All of which could potentially contribute to diarrhoeal disease outbreaks. Diseases such as salmonellosis, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, and shigellosis were feared, particularly in the temporary camps. Large areas were permanently inundated by saline water that has affected the rate of rehabilitation and recovery.

National health professionals, often supported by local and international NGOs, UN agencies, and other partners, reacted immediately. They supported health sector to help recovery.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) have conveyed their strong support of Thailand and its tourism industry.
Thai government effectively work with Unicef in response to the disaster.

Post tsunami experiences have enabled the people of Thailand to effectively plan for any future disaster relief, should the need arise.

"Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004." Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1027119/Indian-Ocean-tsunamiof-2004>. "Thailand: Year In Review 2004." Britannica Book of the Year, 2005. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1017197/Thailand-Year-In-Review2004>. Tsunami Hits Thailand. Microsoft Encarta. 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.