Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The International Tsunami Museum: Researchers Making A Difference In Thailand, David N. Sattler

Psychology Faculty and Staff Publications

On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake created a devastating tsunami that struck 12 countries around the Indian Ocean. Nearly 230,000 people lost their lives, and 2.3 million people were left homeless. Tens of thousands remain unaccounted for. Estimated property damage and economic losses were in the tens of billions of dollars. In Thailand alone, the death toll reached 5,600, with 8,400 people injured.

After the tsunami, I traveled twice to the Khao Lak region of Thailand with a Western Washington University graduate student and a licensed clinical social worker to interview hundreds of survivors who were living in temporary …