I was holidaying on Phi Phi island with my then boyfriend in December 2004. We planned to stay there over the whole Christmas time. I remember walking through the chilled out village one evening and saying to my boyfriend “if anything happened here, no one would be prepared”. I actually said that and weirdly remember saying it. I think I said it because there had been some unrest in Malaysia around that time and I had the close proximity on my mind. We had booked two different accommodation. The first week we spent in a lovely place up on high ground with a fabulous view of the island before moving down to a hotel in the village. We had a ground floor room. My boyfriend’s brother lived in Bangkok and last minute we decided it would be nice to actually spend Christmas Day with him and so spontaneously we left the island on Christmas Eve and caught a boat to the mainland. I was sad to leave the slow pace of beautiful Phi Phi with our daily beach hut massages but knew it would be great to see my partners brother at Christmas. When we got to Phuket we were shocked to realise that we had forgotten to collect our passports from the hotel reception back on Phi Phi! We were discussing what to do, probably a bit annoyed with one another and saying the only option was to go all the way back knowing we wouldn’t be able to make our booked flight to Bangkok and wouldn’t have accommodation on Phi Phi anymore as we’d given it up in a very busy period. We were arguing and then suddenly a Thai man appeared out of nowhere and said he had a boat and if we paid him he would go back to Phi Phi to fetch our passports. We agreed and nervously awaited his return for hours. How did we know we could trust him? Could he steal our passports? I remember watching the fresh holiday makers boarding the last boat to Phi Phi and thinking how much they will love the island. I particularly remember a French family with young children. After what felt like forever to our relief the man arrived back with our passports and we made our flight to Bangkok. Little did we know he quite possibly saved our lives. I do often wonder if he was an Angel. On Boxing Day we were in a market in Bangkok with my boyfriend’s brother. I was looking at a jewellery stall and the brothers phone rang. “ Oh no” he said, “There’s been a wave”. I often think of the French family I chatted to and also of the ‘sliding doors’ phenomenon. The fact we left when we did, the mistake we made that could have caused us to return and then how our saviour appeared in front of us. As if by magic. I am forever grateful. My heart goes out to everyone who were affected in this awful tragedy. I haven’t been able to watch the film. Sending love ❤️
That's an incredible story to be grateful about, went to Phuket & phi phi last year and it was an amazing time. Prayers for the people who lost their lives.
Abrazos desde Uruguay. Pasamos dias soñados sin considerar la posibilidad de un tsunami. Hay flechas indicando la forma de escape. Es gente maravillosa. Dorita @@vivianroman9499
I was there on Phi Phi when the tsunami struck. I was on the side where the boats come in about 100 metres to the open sea from the pier. I was the last person the run off the beach to safety. I should not be here. The first part of the wave caught me but I had run toward the Banyan tree and climbed up it to be just above the full force of the wave. I can never forget those moments. Never.
Saw this footage for the first time, thank you! I remember that day as if it had been yesterday. Should have been my first dive that day. Luckily my diving instructor was sick. Watched a video about diving when all of a sudden the screaming outdoor became too much. Started running from the East side towards the West side when I saw the 7m wave coming towards me. A palm tree in the middle of the island saved my life. A day I will never forget…. My thoughts go to all the 1500 souls lost on that island that day and especially to those running in panic from the oncoming wall on the market place….😢
I appreciate that this is genuine real footage. With AI coming on we could lose some of the original memories of this. I remember the day vividly, nearly 20 years now, I wasn't there but I remember exactly where I was and who I was with.
The most unexplained experience in my life.Around 2003 I won a lottery 1 week vacation on a timeshare hotel resort from my director on a christmas table with my colleagues.I opted Thailand on 26 December 2.004 and a hotel in Bangkok.During that time my director was in Khao Lak.When I arrived around 10 in the morning the tsunami hit and sadly watched the news on tv in my room.Director passed away with her mother as they were missing for days.
Thanks for sharing this. I was there in 2002 and was thinking of returning in 2004, just a month before the tsunami. I was really shocked and saddened to see it on the news. I'm glad you were okay!
Not just that, when the sea start to go out far away or start to rise slowly until it start to flood the place where it shouldn't you know it's time to run to higher ground.
Tror att ni sprang upp i samma hotell som min Mama pappa och lillasyster som också skulle ut med båt den morgonen. Jag var dock hemma i Sverige. Känslosamt att se detta
I've been to Thailand many times since 2004, it's so hard to believe that the beautiful, magical place experienced such devastation. In 2015 we were actually sitting at a bar on the beach, I think on the other side to where your video starts from and a lady ran past saying "did you feel that did you feel that", then a Thai man ran up to us shouting "tsunami" so we ran as fast as we could up towards the view point. It really kicked in when you saw the locals all heading the same way, fear in their eyes. I guess many of them were there on that fateful day in 2004 and fight mode kicked in for them. There was a Quake but it transpired it was relatively small but the effects from years before were clear to see on the locals faces. There were three of us in our party and I remember we could not locate a friend of ours, we spent about 10 mins looking for him but people were running for the hills so we made our way and he was already up there. As I say, thankfully a false alarm and after a few hours we came back down. I can only imagine what you went through that day.
When I went back there around that time after fortuitously avoiding being in the backpacker part of the island in 2004 I booked accommodation on a hill.
Så fruktansvärt.. Jag skulle följt med min kompis till Khao Lak den julen. Jag fick inte eller kunde inte av min mamma, så fick stanna hemma. Min fina vän kom tyvärr hem i kista. Det är så sjukt! Tack för att ni delade med er 🙏
I'm a survivor. It was a perfect day. The kind you see on postcards. The sky was clear, a deep, endless blue, with the sun shining just enough to warm your skin without burning. A soft breeze rolled in from the sea, carrying the salty scent of the ocean mixed with the sweetness of coconut trees. The waves lapped gently at the shore, whispering a rhythm that made everything feel peaceful, balanced. I stretched lazily in the hammock outside my hut, soaking in the morning stillness. Living in Ko Phi Phi Don had been a dream-waking up to turquoise waters and powdery white sand every day felt unreal. I walked barefoot toward the beach bar where I worked, feeling the cool grains of sand between my toes, thinking about nothing, just enjoying the moment. Then something shifted. I don’t know when I first noticed it, but the air felt... heavy. Too still. No seagulls flying overhead. No usual hum of waves rolling in. Just silence. Thick, unnatural silence. When I reached the beach, a crowd had gathered. People were pointing at the ocean. The water had pulled back. But not in a normal way. Not like the usual low tide. It had retreated as if something massive was sucking it in, swallowing it whole. Some tourists ran toward the exposed seabed, laughing, picking up stranded fish and seashells, snapping photos. They had no idea. But something in my gut screamed at me-this was wrong. And then, I heard it. A roar. Not from an animal. Not from the wind. Something deeper, older. It was the sound of the Earth itself crying out. I turned toward the horizon-and I saw it. A wall of water. Rising. Expanding. A monstrous shadow swallowing the sky. Run. My body moved before my mind could catch up. My feet pounded against the sand as screams filled the air. Some people froze. Others ran in the wrong direction. I spotted a mother struggling to pull her daughter toward the hillside. Without thinking, I grabbed their hands and pulled. Faster. Faster. The roar grew deafening. Then-a crash. A violent collision of water against the world. The force ripped me off the ground like I was weightless. The ocean swallowed me whole. I spun, tumbled, slammed into something-a boat? A wall? I had no idea. My lungs screamed for air, but there was only water, pressure, chaos. And then… nothing. When I woke up, I was clinging to a broken tree trunk, floating in what was left of the island. But there was no island. Just scattered debris, shattered wood, lost belongings, and the ocean-now calm, pretending nothing had ever happened. I coughed, my throat burning with salt, my body trembling with exhaustion. I looked around, searching for-someone, anything. Then, I saw them. The mother. The little girl. Clutching each other, shaking, but alive. Our eyes met, and we didn’t speak. We just cried. Tears of fear, of relief, of everything we had lost. We held onto each other like we had known one another forever, like the only thing keeping us from drifting away was our grip on each other. I don’t know why I survived. I don’t know why they did. But in that moment, I understood something-the ocean had tried to erase us, but we were still here. And somehow, that had to mean something.
Me and a friend were holidaying at Railay Beach when the tsunami hit. I think there were a few fatalities there but not so many. Damages were not as severe as in other places. On the day before, December 25th, we had planned to go to Phi Phi, rent a cheap bamboo bungalow, party all night and sleep it out in the morning. I changed my mind in the last minute. My friend said he would go to Phi Phi alone, but he missed the boat because he forgot his camera in the bungalow and went back to get it. I can't believe how lucky we were. We would have been among the first to die.
Yeah I was supposed to be there too in those cheap bungalows in the middle of the island, likely sleeping off a hangover. Ended up not being there cos got too drunk in pre Xmas revelry in KL and decided to go a few days later. Only time alcohol has helped me.
This video is most real because they were very close to death but still filming.I can feel how much they afraid when u see water still coming at second story of building
A part of my family was there. Three of them ran into the mountains and two hid behind a house, that collapsed. One of them was saved by his backpack that got stuck in a tree, and my grandmothers sister and her husband died. RIP
I’m at a little hotel near the viewpoint looking down onto the town right now after watching your video. Pretty choked up looking down and imagining what happened here.
My hotel is close to this one, as I passed by , I realised this is the hotel from the videos, I walked inside and saw the stairs and the railing in the same colors as 2004, and the pool with the round fountain which is much bigger in real, and I kew it was covered by water when tsunami came. That place still have a very strange atmosphere.
the crazy thing about this is that the water recedes then people thought it was over and the 2nd wave just came and boom 😭😭 so sad 200,000+ people gone.
Hi im from phi phi island my family born here, that time i just was baby 6 months My family tell me about tsunami story so i wanna know how is happened Thank you for take this video
I kind of felt like it too. Watching people 10 meters away who can't move casue they are standing in water up to their waists. Thanks for your thoughts Arissa.
Thank you very much for uploading again. I will use your film in my highschool geographyclass, to give the students a feeling of the timeline of the tsunami. Kind regards Lotte, Campus Vejle, Denmark.
Takk for filmen! Jeg og min familie skulle være der når dette skjedde. Heldigvis mente far vi ikke hadde nok penger og vi kansellerte turen. Helt utrolig trist :'(
Most dangerous thing is when tsunami water return back to the sea .Because u have only few minutes to have to hold any tree or like that otherwise u reach in middle of ocean and no hope for survival there
Hard to believe it’s been 15 years. I’m coincidentally reading “let not the waves of the sea” A true story of a Scottish man who lost his brother and brothers girlfriend. Very sad. May all those who perished and their loved ones be at peace.
I got there a few months after and we built a memorial garden for the dead. I believe it has been moved since but we spent a good few days moving the top soil etc and making it look nice.
This is crazy, it starts with them on the ground floor not really rushing much. They thought it wouldn't be that bad and were fortunate they finally decided to start going up the stairs...
I hope my friends that live on Phi Phi survived. The old couple that gave deep tissue massages, My friend who warned me about all of the venomous Gnu that were all over the island, the lady that braided my hair and all of the beautiful Thai people that I met.
it´s crazy to think that the minute that took these people to go up the stairs running away from the first wave from the north it´s the same time the second wave (coming from the south, way bigger and stronger) took to go through the island, so if they would stay in that hotel lobby for a few seconds longer, they would have been washed away too. Also that man statue that you can see at 2:10 it´s the same one that it´s knocked down at 3:20, that shows how fast and powerfull theses waves were.
The first appearance occurs at 2:10 (center of frame). The second appearance occurs at 3:20 as it is toppling (center of frame). Honestly, I think it was a monument or statue because it remained motionless in both appearances. *_TRUST !!_*
The man is nervous at the very beginning of the tsunami. let's count the minutes...2-3 minutes before the arrival of a 5-meter wave from the other side. Then dozens of people died, everything shifted and the slam of the wave on the corner of the building was so noticeable due to the bass sound, as if it was a ship meeting a wave with its nose. The gods keep Sarah and her husband to show us how scary it really is and we need to run away as soon as the water began to behave strangely. Run away-upstairs.
This looks unreal. I know it happened though, holy heck. Having been to beaches countless times, this is so unsettling to me. The power and chaos behind those waves is just humbling and terrifying!
photographylovergr Yes, I’ve been back two times. One year after the Tsunami and last year as Well. For me, Phi Phi has unfortunately lost its charm in many perspectives. I fell in love with the island in 2001 but not so sure I’ll be back again, way too crowded now. Nightmares, well sometimes. A few times a year I dream about water or floodings. Take Care.
@@kallewidelius9395 can imagine.. and yes: I am at the Moment at phi phi.. I've the Impressionen that all the influencers and Instagram guys have overflooded the island
Kalle Widelius i was there in 2018 feb just before maya bay was closed. We are still in love with the island.. was not soo crowded when I was there.. maybe lucky. I love this island so much, hope I will be there again. I think you have lived the ultimate adventure. Nice but also some sad memories.
I am here because I remember that day very well even though I was 16 years old and I was watching it from the safety of my home in Europe. I don't know how old are you but those of us who were old enough to understand what was happening, don't need the reminder of a movie to be here. We cannot forget the day that those waves effected the entire world.
Guilty - first time I've wathced it. Though I was on Phi Phi in 2002. Remember feeling a tremor at the time. Narrowly missed 2002 Bali bombing by 1 day. I remember a girl who survived Bali bombing only to get eaten by a crocodile in Australia just a couple of weeks later. Sometimes life. Come to think of it I just missed the 2002 SARS outbreak as well.
😢😥😟😰 en menos de un mes se cumplirán 20 años ‼️ Qué rápido pasa el tiempo, pero seguro que el triste recuerdo de esta tragedia nunca pasará al olvido para quienes la vivieron.
Αυτό το βίντεο ας γίνει επιτέλους παραδυγμα τί πραγματικά είμαστε στο τέρας που λέγεται φύση χωρίς τελεια και παύλα και προπαντός περιστροφές γενικός και αόριστος τά συμπεράσματα δικά σας τέλος αγαπητοί μου φίλοι τέλος,,,,,❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
6:37 is that a doll or a baby laying on the beach? This was so incredibly sad. I was there a little bit later but i don't remember to much because i was very very young at the time.
I don't think people realized that so many people were dying when they were watching the Tsunami happening right in front of their eyes until the water receded. R.I.P. to all the people who didn't make it and passed away.
Because it never happen in Thailand before, so at that moment we didn’t know how to do and as you notice there wasn’t a warning sign or alam for tsunami sth like that around 😔😔 we lost so much at that time
No way. Maybe 40km/ (20mph) at most. It flooded quickly but the water slows down when it gets to shallow water, especially close the shores and instead builds on itself, making a higher wave.
A keen awareness of your surroundings and understanding the warning signs. Many tourists and even locals (as can be seen in other videos more clearly) took the water going out to be just a quirky thing and not the serious signal that something was coming. My family lived for a long time in sea towns and the saying was "if the water runs out, you run up"... simply meaning if the ocean rolls out unexpected to get your ass to the highest ground you can get to immediately. Who knows how many lives might've been spared that day had more people (across the entire Indian Ocean) recognized the warning sign. But I'll say this, there's little room for ignorance any more. Tsunamis WILL happen, just a matter of when and where. We've had two major ones in the last 20 years and both have tons of footage available for the world to digest (Indian Ocean in '04 and Japan in 2011). Maybe more will recognize warning signs, better detection equipment, better coverage with sirens etc will all help in at least minimizing the catastrophe as much as possible when it does happen again.
hi, kalle i am a film student in Austrailia, volunteering to help a lecturer of mine, promote her book she wrote about how she coped with the loss of her son in the Tsunami in 2004 on Phi Phi island. This video project am doing is practicing the skills i learn in class, and my lecturer she is struggling to publish her book, because 3 publishers refused to publish her book,so she is trying to do independent publishing. We would really appreciate if you would let us use atleast 5-10 secs of your footage. In Return i will put your name in the credits. thanks, Malcolm
I was holidaying on Phi Phi island with my then boyfriend in December 2004. We planned to stay there over the whole Christmas time. I remember walking through the chilled out village one evening and saying to my boyfriend “if anything happened here, no one would be prepared”. I actually said that and weirdly remember saying it. I think I said it because there had been some unrest in Malaysia around that time and I had the close proximity on my mind. We had booked two different accommodation. The first week we spent in a lovely place up on high ground with a fabulous view of the island before moving down to a hotel in the village. We had a ground floor room. My boyfriend’s brother lived in Bangkok and last minute we decided it would be nice to actually spend Christmas Day with him and so spontaneously we left the island on Christmas Eve and caught a boat to the mainland. I was sad to leave the slow pace of beautiful Phi Phi with our daily beach hut massages but knew it would be great to see my partners brother at Christmas.
When we got to Phuket we were shocked to realise that we had forgotten to collect our passports from the hotel reception back on Phi Phi! We were discussing what to do, probably a bit annoyed with one another and saying the only option was to go all the way back knowing we wouldn’t be able to make our booked flight to Bangkok and wouldn’t have accommodation on Phi Phi anymore as we’d given it up in a very busy period. We were arguing and then suddenly a Thai man appeared out of nowhere and said he had a boat and if we paid him he would go back to Phi Phi to fetch our passports.
We agreed and nervously awaited his return for hours. How did we know we could trust him? Could he steal our passports? I remember watching the fresh holiday makers boarding the last boat to Phi Phi and thinking how much they will love the island. I particularly remember a French family with young children. After what felt like forever to our relief the man arrived back with our passports and we made our flight to Bangkok. Little did we know he quite possibly saved our lives. I do often wonder if he was an Angel.
On Boxing Day we were in a market in Bangkok with my boyfriend’s brother. I was looking at a jewellery stall and the brothers phone rang. “ Oh no” he said, “There’s been a wave”.
I often think of the French family I chatted to and also of the ‘sliding doors’ phenomenon. The fact we left when we did, the mistake we made that could have caused us to return and then how our saviour appeared in front of us. As if by magic. I am forever grateful.
My heart goes out to everyone who were affected in this awful tragedy. I haven’t been able to watch the film.
Sending love ❤️
@@luciemiller7209 What a beautiful story!! Hugs from Chile!!!
That's an incredible story to be grateful about, went to Phuket & phi phi last year and it was an amazing time. Prayers for the people who lost their lives.
Abrazos desde Uruguay. Pasamos dias soñados sin considerar la posibilidad de un tsunami. Hay flechas indicando la forma de escape. Es gente maravillosa. Dorita @@vivianroman9499
I was there on Phi Phi when the tsunami struck. I was on the side where the boats come in about 100 metres to the open sea from the pier. I was the last person the run off the beach to safety. I should not be here. The first part of the wave caught me but I had run toward the Banyan tree and climbed up it to be just above the full force of the wave. I can never forget those moments. Never.
Thank you for sharing, I knew someone who passed away at Phi Phi. So long ago yet like so many, never forgotten.
Saw this footage for the first time, thank you! I remember that day as if it had been yesterday. Should have been my first dive that day. Luckily my diving instructor was sick. Watched a video about diving when all of a sudden the screaming outdoor became too much. Started running from the East side towards the West side when I saw the 7m wave coming towards me. A palm tree in the middle of the island saved my life. A day I will never forget….
My thoughts go to all the 1500 souls lost on that island that day and especially to those running in panic from the oncoming wall on the market place….😢
I get goosebumps every time I see videos of Thailand's Tsunami2004, no matter how long the tragedy has passed.
Yeah I feel the same looking at Indonesia and Sri Lanka and India. :(
I appreciate that this is genuine real footage. With AI coming on we could lose some of the original memories of this. I remember the day vividly, nearly 20 years now, I wasn't there but I remember exactly where I was and who I was with.
Holy cow. To think you were happily on the beach just a few minutes prior... Happened so fast. Tack så mycket för videon.
The most unexplained experience in my life.Around 2003 I won a lottery 1 week vacation on a timeshare hotel resort from my director on a christmas table with my colleagues.I opted Thailand on 26 December 2.004 and a hotel in Bangkok.During that time my director was in Khao Lak.When I arrived around 10 in the morning the tsunami hit and sadly watched the news on tv in my room.Director passed away with her mother as they were missing for days.
Wow
😢
Did u ever return to Thailand?
Thanks for sharing this. I was there in 2002 and was thinking of returning in 2004, just a month before the tsunami. I was really shocked and saddened to see it on the news. I'm glad you were okay!
When the locals are running you know its serious.
Tsunami never happens in Thailand but it did because of Indonesia
If I see locals runing nah ima start running cuz udk what it could be and it might save ur life
Top 10 Xxx
Fab word
Not just that, when the sea start to go out far away or start to rise slowly until it start to flood the place where it shouldn't you know it's time to run to higher ground.
Tror att ni sprang upp i samma hotell som min Mama pappa och lillasyster som också skulle ut med båt den morgonen. Jag var dock hemma i Sverige. Känslosamt att se detta
I've been to Thailand many times since 2004, it's so hard to believe that the beautiful, magical place experienced such devastation. In 2015 we were actually sitting at a bar on the beach, I think on the other side to where your video starts from and a lady ran past saying "did you feel that did you feel that", then a Thai man ran up to us shouting "tsunami" so we ran as fast as we could up towards the view point. It really kicked in when you saw the locals all heading the same way, fear in their eyes. I guess many of them were there on that fateful day in 2004 and fight mode kicked in for them. There was a Quake but it transpired it was relatively small but the effects from years before were clear to see on the locals faces. There were three of us in our party and I remember we could not locate a friend of ours, we spent about 10 mins looking for him but people were running for the hills so we made our way and he was already up there. As I say, thankfully a false alarm and after a few hours we came back down. I can only imagine what you went through that day.
Muita destruição😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
I was there in December 2015.
When I went back there around that time after fortuitously avoiding being in the backpacker part of the island in 2004 I booked accommodation on a hill.
It’s a fuvking shithole nowadays
It’s incredible that you caught this on film. Wow…
Så fruktansvärt.. Jag skulle följt med min kompis till Khao Lak den julen. Jag fick inte eller kunde inte av min mamma, så fick stanna hemma. Min fina vän kom tyvärr hem i kista. Det är så sjukt! Tack för att ni delade med er 🙏
Lessen att höra det 😪
R.I.P ❤
@@gotlandstjej 🙏🏽❤️😔
Fyfan asså…
I think this is one of the best tsunami footage
I'm a survivor.
It was a perfect day. The kind you see on postcards. The sky was clear, a deep, endless blue, with the sun shining just enough to warm your skin without burning. A soft breeze rolled in from the sea, carrying the salty scent of the ocean mixed with the sweetness of coconut trees. The waves lapped gently at the shore, whispering a rhythm that made everything feel peaceful, balanced.
I stretched lazily in the hammock outside my hut, soaking in the morning stillness. Living in Ko Phi Phi Don had been a dream-waking up to turquoise waters and powdery white sand every day felt unreal. I walked barefoot toward the beach bar where I worked, feeling the cool grains of sand between my toes, thinking about nothing, just enjoying the moment.
Then something shifted. I don’t know when I first noticed it, but the air felt... heavy. Too still. No seagulls flying overhead. No usual hum of waves rolling in. Just silence. Thick, unnatural silence.
When I reached the beach, a crowd had gathered. People were pointing at the ocean. The water had pulled back. But not in a normal way. Not like the usual low tide. It had retreated as if something massive was sucking it in, swallowing it whole.
Some tourists ran toward the exposed seabed, laughing, picking up stranded fish and seashells, snapping photos. They had no idea. But something in my gut screamed at me-this was wrong.
And then, I heard it.
A roar. Not from an animal. Not from the wind. Something deeper, older. It was the sound of the Earth itself crying out.
I turned toward the horizon-and I saw it. A wall of water. Rising. Expanding. A monstrous shadow swallowing the sky.
Run.
My body moved before my mind could catch up. My feet pounded against the sand as screams filled the air. Some people froze. Others ran in the wrong direction. I spotted a mother struggling to pull her daughter toward the hillside. Without thinking, I grabbed their hands and pulled. Faster. Faster.
The roar grew deafening. Then-a crash. A violent collision of water against the world.
The force ripped me off the ground like I was weightless. The ocean swallowed me whole. I spun, tumbled, slammed into something-a boat? A wall? I had no idea. My lungs screamed for air, but there was only water, pressure, chaos.
And then… nothing.
When I woke up, I was clinging to a broken tree trunk, floating in what was left of the island. But there was no island. Just scattered debris, shattered wood, lost belongings, and the ocean-now calm, pretending nothing had ever happened.
I coughed, my throat burning with salt, my body trembling with exhaustion. I looked around, searching for-someone, anything.
Then, I saw them. The mother. The little girl. Clutching each other, shaking, but alive.
Our eyes met, and we didn’t speak. We just cried. Tears of fear, of relief, of everything we had lost. We held onto each other like we had known one another forever, like the only thing keeping us from drifting away was our grip on each other.
I don’t know why I survived. I don’t know why they did. But in that moment, I understood something-the ocean had tried to erase us, but we were still here. And somehow, that had to mean something.
Me and a friend were holidaying at Railay Beach when the tsunami hit. I think there were a few fatalities there but not so many. Damages were not as severe as in other places.
On the day before, December 25th, we had planned to go to Phi Phi, rent a cheap bamboo bungalow, party all night and sleep it out in the morning. I changed my mind in the last minute. My friend said he would go to Phi Phi alone, but he missed the boat because he forgot his camera in the bungalow and went back to get it.
I can't believe how lucky we were. We would have been among the first to die.
Yeah I was supposed to be there too in those cheap bungalows in the middle of the island, likely sleeping off a hangover. Ended up not being there cos got too drunk in pre Xmas revelry in KL and decided to go a few days later. Only time alcohol has helped me.
Someone here in 2025 ?
👋
☝️
Literally just left phi phi lol
And the speed boat is that bumpy
I'm here👍
This video is most real because they were very close to death but still filming.I can feel how much they afraid when u see water still coming at second story of building
A part of my family was there. Three of them ran into the mountains and two hid behind a house, that collapsed. One of them was saved by his backpack that got stuck in a tree, and my grandmothers sister and her husband died. RIP
Sad to hear that
Rip
F
I’m at a little hotel near the viewpoint looking down onto the town right now after watching your video. Pretty choked up looking down and imagining what happened here.
My hotel is close to this one, as I passed by , I realised this is the hotel from the videos, I walked inside and saw the stairs and the railing in the same colors as 2004, and the pool with the round fountain which is much bigger in real, and I kew it was covered by water when tsunami came. That place still have a very strange atmosphere.
the crazy thing about this is that the water recedes then people thought it was over and the 2nd wave just came and boom 😭😭 so sad 200,000+ people gone.
My heart is just pounding watching this! I can't even imagine the terror of being in something like this!
Vi är i Khao Lak nu och på Phi phi förra veckan.. Tankarna blir mer påtagliga på vad ni fick uppleva Kalle!
M. STRIDH här fyi
We stayed in that hotel in 2011, had a great time. Crazy to see what they went through just a few years earlier.
Was it Cabana?
@@efimiliotou7089 Phi Phi Cabana Hotel
Hi im from phi phi island my family born here, that time i just was baby 6 months
My family tell me about tsunami story so i wanna know how is happened
Thank you for take this video
15 years today😪
20
I am watching this while I am on THIS beach WHY
Joy Tje i just visited it a couple days ago
I'm doing the same. I'm at phi phi and came across the before and after tsunami photos at some view points. So got intrigued and watched the video.
Me too! xD
I know if fricking scary
A lot of people died on that beach. Creeped me out.
When the lobby was filled with water, ugh! Feels like watching Titanic.
I kind of felt like it too. Watching people 10 meters away who can't move casue they are standing in water up to their waists. Thanks for your thoughts Arissa.
Ya same.
Thank you very much for uploading again. I will use your film in my highschool geographyclass, to give the students a feeling of the timeline of the tsunami. Kind regards Lotte, Campus Vejle, Denmark.
Good luck Lotte! I'll be going back to Thailand next week, and hopefully a day at Phi Phi as well...
Happy to help for any education purpose Lotte.
@@kallewidelius9395 Är det något som klippts bort? Typ den/de som höll sig fast i palmerna?
Its amazing how the Palm trees hold ground despite of so much force hitting them.
trees are very strong, thats why its adviced to climb them if or when something like this happens
Mycket bisarrt, det går skrämmande fort!
Takk for filmen!
Jeg og min familie skulle være der når dette skjedde. Heldigvis mente far vi ikke hadde nok penger og vi kansellerte turen. Helt utrolig trist :'(
Most dangerous thing is when tsunami water return back to the sea .Because u have only few minutes to have to hold any tree or like that otherwise u reach in middle of ocean and no hope for survival there
Me and my new wife Louise Harrand were there - swept away in the water but both survived.
Hard to believe it’s been 15 years. I’m coincidentally reading “let not the waves of the sea” A true story of a Scottish man who lost his brother and brothers girlfriend. Very sad.
May all those who perished and their loved ones be at peace.
That boat was in a rush to leave - a fatal mistake
I got there a few months after and we built a memorial garden for the dead. I believe it has been moved since but we spent a good few days moving the top soil etc and making it look nice.
This is crazy, it starts with them on the ground floor not really rushing much. They thought it wouldn't be that bad and were fortunate they finally decided to start going up the stairs...
Feels like yesterday but already so long ago. What absolute devastation that was all over the region
Rest In Peace Mieszko Andrzej Talarczyk ! RIP all of this tragedy that schocked the world.
250,000 died across Asia. RIP. Best wishes from England.
I hope my friends that live on Phi Phi survived. The old couple that gave deep tissue massages, My friend who warned me about all of the venomous Gnu that were all over the island, the lady that braided my hair and all of the beautiful Thai people that I met.
น่ากลัวมากกกกก มันเกิดขึ้นเร็วมากจนคนตั้งตัวกันไม่ทัน เพียงแค่ไม่ถึง 10นาที คลื่นมันดันเข้ามาสูงท่วมตึก คนถึงตายกันเยอะมากเพราะตกใจ หนีไม่ทัน และมันมาเร็วมาก เขว่ามันมาเป็นระลอก รอบที่3คือมันซัดเข้ามาเหมือนโดนทิ้งระเบิด ตึก5ชั้นก็พัง พบนักท่องเที่ยวเสียชีวิตคาห้องพักก็เยอะมาก เกิดมาในชีวิตไม่เคยเจออะไรที่จะน่ากลัวได้ขนาดนี้อีกแล้ว
it´s crazy to think that the minute that took these people to go up the stairs running away from the first wave from the north it´s the same time the second wave (coming from the south, way bigger and stronger) took to go through the island, so if they would stay in that hotel lobby for a few seconds longer, they would have been washed away too. Also that man statue that you can see at 2:10 it´s the same one that it´s knocked down at 3:20, that shows how fast and powerfull theses waves were.
Efter bilderna var fina.
3:19 was that a person standing out in the water? From the way it falls into the surging water, it looks like a statue. Very eerie, either way.
Omg yes
The first appearance occurs at 2:10 (center of frame).
The second appearance occurs at 3:20 as it is toppling (center of frame).
Honestly, I think it was a monument or statue because it remained motionless in both appearances.
*_TRUST !!_*
I came for this comment, and I hope it was a statue.
The man is nervous at the very beginning of the tsunami. let's count the minutes...2-3 minutes before the arrival of a 5-meter wave from the other side. Then dozens of people died, everything shifted and the slam of the wave on the corner of the building was so noticeable due to the bass sound, as if it was a ship meeting a wave with its nose. The gods keep Sarah and her husband to show us how scary it really is and we need to run away as soon as the water began to behave strangely. Run away-upstairs.
This looks unreal. I know it happened though, holy heck. Having been to beaches countless times, this is so unsettling to me. The power and chaos behind those waves is just humbling and terrifying!
To the uploader: Since it's been 14 years, do you ever get nightmares about that day? And have you been back since?
photographylovergr Yes, I’ve been back two times. One year after the Tsunami and last year as Well. For me, Phi Phi has unfortunately lost its charm in many perspectives. I fell in love with the island in 2001 but not so sure I’ll be back again, way too crowded now.
Nightmares, well sometimes. A few
times a year I dream about water or floodings. Take Care.
@@kallewidelius9395 can imagine.. and yes: I am at the Moment at phi phi.. I've the Impressionen that all the influencers and Instagram guys have overflooded the island
Kalle Widelius i was there in 2018 feb just before maya bay was closed. We are still in love with the island.. was not soo crowded when I was there.. maybe lucky. I love this island so much, hope I will be there again. I think you have lived the ultimate adventure. Nice but also some sad memories.
It is way better now again because of covid. Not many people here
2:20, somebody is afar, in the water, struggling to go through. I hope they survived 🙏
So lucky there was a two story building there
Who’s here after watching “Impossible” on Netflix
Me
I’m watching it now lol
I am here because I remember that day very well even though I was 16 years old and I was watching it from the safety of my home in Europe. I don't know how old are you but those of us who were old enough to understand what was happening, don't need the reminder of a movie to be here. We cannot forget the day that those waves effected the entire world.
Guilty - first time I've wathced it. Though I was on Phi Phi in 2002. Remember feeling a tremor at the time. Narrowly missed 2002 Bali bombing by 1 day. I remember a girl who survived Bali bombing only to get eaten by a crocodile in Australia just a couple of weeks later. Sometimes life. Come to think of it I just missed the 2002 SARS outbreak as well.
Yeah
lyssnade på poden mellan himmel och jord. de intervjuade en tjej som var på phi phi och överlevde. mycket värd att lyssna på
This is awful to watch. I was just there and I can't even imagine this happening.
I keep seeing that little doggie on no leash. I hope to god he was brought upstairs. 😢 Idk why but I always get worried for the animals! 🐾
❤
"Ska vi försöka rädda någon?"
"Nej."
Nice one.
Al.perro
Hade inte heller velat dö. Bra val.
Rest In Peace, Troy Broadbridge.
Brilliant post
Beautiful place, and scary at the same time
Same thought
Kan vara den främsta dokumentation av en tsunami som har gjorts.
Kom att tänka på denna när jag såg vattnets framfart i Spanien idag.
the height of this tsunami in phi phi is not really high like some place in aceh but still the energy of this tsunami is very powerfull.
The second wave which came from the other bay., had a height of around 6 meters.
Who in 2021????.
😢😥😟😰 en menos de un mes se cumplirán 20 años ‼️ Qué rápido pasa el tiempo, pero seguro que el triste recuerdo de esta tragedia nunca pasará al olvido para quienes la vivieron.
"DET HÄR ÄR HELT JÄVLA BISARRT!" yes... it is very fucking bizzare. Back then people didn't really know about this kind of thing.
incredible !!!!
Αυτό το βίντεο ας γίνει επιτέλους παραδυγμα τί πραγματικά είμαστε στο τέρας που λέγεται φύση χωρίς τελεια και παύλα και προπαντός περιστροφές γενικός και αόριστος τά συμπεράσματα δικά σας τέλος αγαπητοί μου φίλοι τέλος,,,,,❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
6:37 is that a doll or a baby laying on the beach? This was so incredibly sad. I was there a little bit later but i don't remember to much because i was very very young at the time.
It's a cat.
Tsunami really doesnt look scary until it reaches the shore
تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا فَأَصْبَحُوا لَا يُرَىٰ إِلَّا مَسَاكِنُهُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
Это наказание всевышнего за грехи людей.
Fantastic tube vid
Very Cool post
Måste vara så hemskt att bara stå där och se människor dö framför en utan att kunna göra något.
I don't think people realized that so many people were dying when they were watching the Tsunami happening right in front of their eyes until the water receded. R.I.P. to all the people who didn't make it and passed away.
1500 döda bara på phi phi
Iam there right now ❤ to see what can happen with this beautiful place is very sad 😢
Vilka tider 😱😱😱 jag minns detta 😥😥😥
I have been there this year in February.. it's looking very nice but less trees and plants.😔
Mother Earth 😢❤
- Vad har hänt?
- När hände det?
- Var någonstans?
- Vem Vilka är inblandade?
- Hur gick det till?
- Vad hände sedan?
Lol
such a helpless feeling
25 Dec 2024 here 😁👋
I'm was there in phi phi island in 2004 December but I'm thanks God safe from the Tsunami
My parents went same year but in February and I’m pretty sure this was in December so I’m very lucky they didn’t go then
Greetings from Laemtong beach on phi phi Northern part 20 years later
Because it never happen in Thailand before, so at that moment we didn’t know how to do and as you notice there wasn’t a warning sign or alam for tsunami sth like that around 😔😔 we lost so much at that time
На 6:37 кошечка утонула 😢😢😢
That tsunami happened so fast. How did you survive? That water was moving at like 80 kilometers per hour.
No way. Maybe 40km/ (20mph) at most. It flooded quickly but the water slows down when it gets to shallow water, especially close the shores and instead builds on itself, making a higher wave.
@@AngelWhisper_7 Still faster than most people can run or even normal waves.
@@gav1233 you are certainly correct about that! We run at the fastest 3-5mph and thats really really running lol
People: living, working, on holiday
Indian Ocean: I have an itch, let me stretch a little more
..😱😭💀💀💀
sorry for this loss
How do you even get your head around this when it's happening?
Those that did would survive and those that could not.......well a lot of them did not survive.
To be honest, no idea. Mostly luck.
A keen awareness of your surroundings and understanding the warning signs. Many tourists and even locals (as can be seen in other videos more clearly) took the water going out to be just a quirky thing and not the serious signal that something was coming. My family lived for a long time in sea towns and the saying was "if the water runs out, you run up"... simply meaning if the ocean rolls out unexpected to get your ass to the highest ground you can get to immediately. Who knows how many lives might've been spared that day had more people (across the entire Indian Ocean) recognized the warning sign.
But I'll say this, there's little room for ignorance any more. Tsunamis WILL happen, just a matter of when and where. We've had two major ones in the last 20 years and both have tons of footage available for the world to digest (Indian Ocean in '04 and Japan in 2011). Maybe more will recognize warning signs, better detection equipment, better coverage with sirens etc will all help in at least minimizing the catastrophe as much as possible when it does happen again.
Jon Dishmon Music and STUFF!! My friend didn't.
I was in Phi phi 6 months back and kept wondering what would the people would have done @ tsunami
omg the dead cat at 6:37 :(
hi, kalle
i am a film student in Austrailia, volunteering to help a lecturer of mine, promote her book she wrote about how she coped with the loss of her son in the Tsunami in 2004 on Phi Phi island. This video project am doing is practicing the skills i learn in class, and my lecturer she is struggling to publish her book, because 3 publishers refused to publish her book,so she is trying to do independent publishing. We would really appreciate if you would let us use atleast 5-10 secs of your footage. In Return i will put your name in the credits.
thanks, Malcolm
Francis Wai - please email me at kallewidelius@gmail.com
omg!!! look at 3:17 the person getting caught in the water!😵
It's a statue. It is in the minute 2:10
Io questo inverno sono stata proprio in quell’hotel che brividi
1:44 noooo dog :(
Btw a quarter of a million people also died, but yeah boohoo rip the dog
The Woody
Lmao
El animalito del 1:44, se salvaría?
Boa noite muito desesperador vê tudo isso de perto tô aqui em São Paulo no Brasil assistindo vc parabéns pelo vídeo
Does anyone know what Enya song that is?
Это Бухта Майа Бей?
Hari ini tepat 20 tahun kejadian tsunami 2004
Al Fatihah kepada mereka yang sudah meninggalkan kita 🤲