December 26, 2004 was a tragic day for Phuket when the Boxing Day Tsunami practically destroyed the island's tourism in a matter of seconds.
In modern times, Phuket suffered its most debilitating disaster on December 26, 2004, when the island and other western coastal regions of Thailand were hit by a massive tsunami.
The Boxing Day tsunami was caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake, which led to waves that swept through some highly populated regions, killing an estimated 5,300 people in Thailand and hundreds of thousands of more throughout Asia.
Around 250 people were missing, presumed dead in the wake of the tsunami, including scores of foreign tourists.
Most of the beaches along the island’s west coast, including Patong Beach, Karon Beach, Kata and Kamala sustained damage.
Just over a year later, many of the island’s resorts were back in business with little sign of the devastation evident today.
An advanced warning system has been installed to protect residents of coastal regions and tourists.
Since the disaster, the Thai government has installed 22 United States-made tsunami detection devices, which have been placed around the Indian Ocean to act as an early warning system against future tsunamis.
The satellite-linked buoys will flaot 1,000 km (620 miles) offshore, approximately half-way between Thailand and Sri Lanka.
The state-of-the-art buoys send a warning via satellite to the relevant authorities, allowing for the affected areas to be cleared promptly.
