Twenty years after the tsunami: ‘It feels like yesterday’

Two decades ago, Thailand’s coast was devastated by massive waves caused by a huge earthquake. While few physical reminders of the disaster remain, it is far from forgotten. Seven people from Thailand share their painful memories. Nicolas Stoffel (63), restaurant owner in Phuket As a young man, Nicolas Stoffel from canton Ticino planned to move to Australia. But he ended up in Phuket, where he became a diving instructor 37 years ago. The 2004 tsunami marked a turning point in his life, leading him to switch from diving to waiting tables. Today, Stoffel runs the Sabai Corner restaurant, perched in the jungle 60 metres above sea level. He shares photo albums documenting the relief efforts he joined after the tsunami, including recovering bodies from as far away as Ko Phi Phi. “Someone had to do it,” Stoffel says. He worked tirelessly for months, helping with clean-up efforts. He vividly recalls the supermarket in the basement at Patong Beach, where many lost their lives, and the ...