Joined by leading local officials and members of the local community, Mr Sarawut read the prime minister’s message for National Disaster Prevention Day, also observed yesterday as a result of the tsunami, before observing a minute’s silence to remember those lost to the waves.
Buddhist, Islamic and Christian religious ceremonies were observed before and garlands and flowers were laid at the Tsunami Memorial Wall to mourn those who died, both Thais and foreigners, from all 44 countries.
Mai Khao Cemetery served as the site of the Thailand Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) in the days after the tsunami, and as the location where bodies were organised for repatriation and handing back to families.
While the traditional ‘Light Up Phuket’ event at Patong Beach appears to have faded, Mai Khao OrBorTor noted in their report yesterday that Mai Khao OrBorTor will hold a tsunami memorial ceremony every year.
In Phang Nga, where thousands died in the disaster, Phang Nga Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai yesterday led a tsunami memorial service at Tsunami Memorial Park in Baan Nam Khem, Takua Pa District. Baan Nam Khem was one of the villages devastated by the disaster.