Khao Lak

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The beach at Khao Lak before the tsunami of 2004

Khao Lak (Thai: เขาหลัก) is a resort beach in Thailand, located 100 km north of Phuket in Takua Pa district, Phang Nga province and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips.

The coast line here has a west-facing, sandy beach with tropical forest and rubber plantations on the hill slopes beyond the sand. A road runs roughly parallel with the beach and the town has grown up as a ribbon development of shops and dwellings, with tourist hotels between the road and the beach.

[edit] Economy

The local economy in the town is based on the tourist hotels, local shops and restaurants, and the diving trade. Most of the foreign tourists are European, many from Scandinavia, Germany and the United Kingdom. The wider area produces some rubber and palm oil; there is also a small amount of subsistence agriculture.

After the tsunami in December 2004 (see below) the economy was ruined. 90 percent of the hotels were seriously damaged and many needed to be completely rebuilt. However, now 2 years after everything has been rebuilt, the resorts carry an even higher standard now, and all the hotels are fully booked during the high season (November to March). Prices have also gone up and today one can expect to pay from baht 4,000/night and up for the beachfront cabins. Today Khao Lak is "upper class" compared to the more shady hotels on Phuket island.

[edit] 2004 earthquake and tsunamis

Tsunami inundation at Khao Lak; the resort area is in the middle

Khao Lak was the area of Thailand hardest hit by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Many people died including many foreign tourists. The final death toll was over 4000.

Most of the coastal landscape i.e. beaches, resorts and vegetation was completely stripped back by the power of the tsunami. Some replanting programmes have been initiated, however very little has changed in the past two years. Studies suggesting that coastal vegetation may have helped buffer the effects of the waves have ensured that replanting and maintenance of the coastal vegetation have become a priority in the reconstruction of the landscape.

Among the casualties were Bhumi Jensen, grandson of the King of Thailand and well-known Finnish musician and TV-host Aki Sirkesalo and his family. Almost four years old at the time, Solitaire Meissmer was swept away at Khao Lak and remains the subject of a media-covered intensive search despite being formally identified in August 2005 as a victim.