Accomplishments in the South Coastal Thai Communities After the 2004 Tsunami in the Restoration Process, A Case Study in Ranong Province - Post-Tsunami Hazard: Reconstruction and Restoration - page 72

Chapter 6
Accomplishments in the South Coastal
Thai Communities After the 2004
Tsunami in the Restoration
Process, A Case Study in Ranong Province
Passakorn Pananont , Raykha Srisomboon , Wisai Kongkaew ,
and Pralin Kriwichai
Abstract The 2004 tsunami caused by the great Sumatra earthquake devastated a
large amount of the local communities along the coastline of the Andaman Sea in
the southern Thailand. Since then most communities have been gradually recovered
from this disaster through various restoration processes. This chapter presents a case
study of the post-disaster recovery processes for two small local villages: the Nua
and the Hat Sai Khao villages in Suk Samran district, Ranong province, compared
with those of the government organizations, the Kasetsart University's Andaman
Coastal Research Station for Development that was also hit hard by this tragic inci-
dent. The recovery process of these two small villages can be used as proxies for
many small local communities in the southern Thailand about how they have adapted
themselves to restore their communities back to their normal stages and eventually
to have a sustainable immunity to this natural hazard. The tsunami impacts and
detailed restoration and reconstruction processes of these two villages are discussed
from the day the disaster occurred until recently. It can be concluded that for small
local communities, the external supports, either from central government or the pri-
vate sectors, are as important as the wills of the residents to support themselves.
Without the external help, it is extremely diffi cult for such small local communities
in Thailand to get back on their feet within a short time. In addition, the large amount
of the funding support must be distributed to the affected communities within a