Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2000: The Beach Filmed
Visitors had been flocking to Thailand's white-sand beaches long before this Hol-
lywood film was made, but there was something about seeing the perfect beach on
the silver screen that captured the audiences' imaginations. With global travel on the
rise, large numbers of travelers visited Maya Bay (For further details see
The “Per-
fect Beach”
)
.
26 December 2004: Indian Ocean Tsunami
The devastation caused by the tsunami was immense - thousands of lives lost in a
matter of minutes. In Thailand, the tsunami represented the worst natural disaster in
history, leaving some 8,000 people dead. Busy merchant streets became lethal rap-
ids, and everything on Ko Phi Phi was essentially washed away.
Top 10 Historical Figures
Rene Charbonneau (17th century)
French medical missionary who served as Phuket's governor.
Alexandre Chevalier de Chaumont (1640-1710)
France's first ambassador to Siam, he was granted the country's tin monopoly in 1685.
Thao Thep Kasattri (18th century)
This gutsy woman rallied Siamese troops to rebel against the Burmese invasion.
Thao Srisoonthorn (18th century)
The Heroines' Monument was built in honor of Thao and her sister.
