
Tsunami Memorial, Similan Islands, Thailand – image © Chris Mitchell
The 2004 tsunami had a truly devastating impact on the town of Khao Lak in Thailand, the main jumping off point for diving liveaboards heading out to the Similan Islands. Visit Khao Lak now and you’d never know that much of the town was completely destroyed by the wave. A permanent underwater memorial was erected at Hideaway Bay dive site in the Similans, depicting 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac. Here’s my 2005 article for Asian Diver magazine on being on one of the first dive boats to dive the Similan Islands again after the tsunami.