On December 26, 2004, seismic ocean waves known as tsunamis hit the shores of the six resort provinces along the Andaman sea in Southern Thailand. In Thailand, the waves killed 5,395 people, half of these numbers were foreigners. In all the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, the death toll reached over 280,000. The tsunami disaster shocked the world.
The Government of Thailand has selected a site in the Khao Lak – Lamru National Park in Phangnga Province, on the hardest-hit area in Thailand, to build a Tsunami Memorial as a permanent tribute to those who lost their lives.
The Tsunami Memorial will be created through a two-stage international design competition. Stage I is conceptual design which is open to professional architects, designers, artists and laypersons. A jury consisting of prominent design professionals from Thailand and other countries will select finalists, who will then be invited to further develop their concepts in conjunction with architects licensed to practice in Thailand in Stage II of the competition. A second jury will review these designs and recommend the best design for submitting to the Government of Thailand in May 2006.
November 15, 2005 is the deadline for competition registration. Stage I design entries are due on November 30, 2005. Please visit www.tsunamimemorial.or.th for details.