Baan Nam Khem Memorial of Sadness. In memory of the 2004 tsunami diaster. If you still remember the tsunami incident 20 years ago that was turned into a movie. About a family who were victims of a disaster in Thailand. The movie with a happy ending. But many families are not lucky like in the movie...
Ban Nam Khem is now a beach village suitable for relaxation. There are seafood restaurants. There are not many tourists along the beach, except on Saturdays and Sundays when locals like to relax. On the beach, there is a statue of the Buddha in the Mara-Vijaya posture and a statue of Prince of Chumphon Khet Udomsak. The beach is decorated with a little cement. Next to the beach, there is the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial and further out, there is the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum.
After the tsunami disaster, Ban Nam Khem was the hardest hit community. One in four of the 4,200 residents died in the disaster. Many of them were children in the village. The survivors were left penniless. Even their houses were destroyed and had to be repaired or rebuilt. It was sad, just like the tourists who lost their lives in the disaster.
The memorial is filled with the names of the dead, both Thais and tourists from many countries. Their names were inscribed together for the last time here. Even though it has been a long time, it is still sad. It is difficult to forget.
On a cloudy day, lets mourn for the souls who dwell in this Baan Nam Khem. The origin of the tsunami warning system that keeps everyone safe today.
