Patong Municipality, which for more than a decade hosted the ‘Light Up Phuket’ candle memorial service, has not made any announcements for any tsunami remembrance services this year.
Asked why, Patong Mayor Chalermsak Maneesri told The Phuket News, “That is something that higher-ranking officials organise.”
He declined to comment further on the issue.
Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organisation (Mai Khao OrBorTor), which is responsible for maintaining the ‘Wall of Remembrance’ at the Mai Khao Cemetery also has yet to announce any services to remember those who died in the tsunami.
However, Mai Khao OrBorTor Chairman Sarawut Srisakhookham has told the Bangkok Post that a remembrance event will be held in Mai Khao, despite no announcements through the Mai Khao ORBorTor official facebook page.
Mai Khao OrBorTor has held a memorial service at the ‘Wall of Remembrance’ every year since the disaster, as it did last year.
The silence of local officials might be due to the fact that Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, along with representatives from the United Nations and ASEAN, are to attend the memorial service to be held in Baan Nam Khem, where Bangkok officials in recent years have focussed the spotlight ‒ away from Phuket.
Official government estimates mark 5,078 people in Thailand killed by the tsunami, with a further 8,457 injured and 3,716 missing, presumed dead. While confirmed deaths in Phuket were only 259, another 700 people remained listed as missing.
Phang Nga, however, bore the brunt of the tsunami, with 4,163 people confirmed dead and another 2,113 recorded as missing. Records show that of those killed in Phang Nga by the tsunami 2,213 were foreigners – mostly tourists.
Anuphong Panarat, Secretary to the Phuket Governor, told The Phuket News, “Phuket and Phang Nga will co-host events commemorating the 20th anniversary of a significant disaster.”
However, he made no mention of any tsunami remembrance events to be held in Phuket.
Instead, Mr Anuphong re-confirmed the same details announced by the Phang Nga branch of the Public Relations Department on Friday (Dec 20).
“The Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, in collaboration with the United Nations, has organised a series of activities to honour victims and highlight advancements in disaster management over the past two decades,” Mr Anuphong said.
Of note, Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation was created in the wake of the 2004 tsunami to prepare for and respond to such disasters.
“The events will take place on December 26-27 at the Khao Lak Marriott Beach Resort & Spa, located in the Baan Nam Khem area, running from 8:30am to 5pm each day,” Mr Anuphong explained.
Khao Lak was one of the areas nearby laid waste to by the 2004 tsunami, where thousands of tourists died.
“The program is expected to attract a diverse range of participants, including high-profile figures and international representatives,” Mr Anuphong noted.
The Bangkok-centric central government over the years has focussed its attention on spotlighting Baan Nam Khem, in Phang Nga’s Takua Pa District, as it was one of the villages devastated by the disaster.
The devastation and loss of life in the village was heavily reported both in Thailand and in international media. In response, the central government saw it fit to create the ‘Tsunami Memorial Park’ in Baan Nam Khem.
Last year, memorial events held at Baan Nam Khem were led by Phang Nga Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai, a former Phuket Vice Governor.
Among the attendees at the Baan Nam Khem events this year will be Interior Minister Anutin and Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN.
Other guests include Col Muhd Harrith Rashidi bin Haji Muhd Jamin, Director of the National Disaster Management Center and Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management;. Sujiro Seam, European Ambassador to ASEAN; and Niamh Collier-Smith, Representative of the United Nations Development Programme.
“The primary objective of the commemoration is to honor the memory of those who lost their lives and to showcase the progress and resilience achieved in disaster management. The event will also provide a platform for discussing future strategies to enhance disaster preparedness and response across the region,” Mr Anuphong concluded.