Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum

Hours (Open/Closed) Wednesday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Thursday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Saturday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Sunday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

📍 Location of Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum 🚘 Directions to Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum

About Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum

The Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum is a poignant and powerful tribute to the devastating tsunami that struck the coasts of the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004. The museum focuses on the Khao Lak area on the Andaman coast, which was one of the most severely affected areas in Thailand, particularly the village of Ban Nam Khem. The museum is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of nature, providing a stark reminder of the reality of the disaster that many only remember from news reports.

The museum tour begins with a moving video featuring a man who was in the area as a boy with his family on holiday and survived the tsunami with the help of a local man. This video provides a personal and emotional context to the disaster, setting the tone for the rest of the tour. Outside the museum, visitors can see two fishing boats that were carried to that point from around two kilometres away, and a wall that represents the height of the wave. These are powerful illustrations of the force of the tsunami, providing a tangible sense of the scale of the disaster.

Inside the museum, there are displays of many items recovered after the tsunami, along with information about measures put in place for people to be warned and prepared to avoid the huge loss of life in the event of a similar event. The museum is not necessarily a cheerful place to visit, as it provokes a lot of reflection, but it is very informative and provides a valuable insight into the reality of the disaster.

The museum is very well thought out and interactive, with stories from survivors and displays of the items found after the waters had receded. The guides are fluent in English and are able to answer many questions, making the museum a highly recommended visit for anyone in the area.

The Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum is a respectful and fitting tribute to the 2004 tsunami. It is a well laid out and informative museum, providing an insight into what happened when the tsunami hit the area. The museum is not large, with two main exhibition halls plus a small auditorium, all air-conditioned. The exhibits, all labelled in Thai and English, are neatly laid out with good lighting, and the architecture and landscape are visually striking.

The museum is operated by the Ministry of Culture, which has evidently supplied it with adequate funding. The staff are eager to help and provide guided tours through the exhibits. The tour begins with a short film providing present-day context, followed by a walk through the first hall, which features a map of the Khao Lak coast, with place markers denoting affected locations. The second hall features exhibits on the nature of tsunamis and a timeline of the tsunami's impact.

The museum also features a memorial bearing the names of those who lost their lives, though it wasn't open during the visit. Despite this, the museum is a powerful reminder of the disaster and the lessons learned from it. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of nature, and a reminder of the importance of being prepared for such events.

The Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Museum is free to visit for the foreseeable future. It is a bit tricky to get to, as existing road signs only direct you to the Tsunami Memorial, which is about 1 km away. However, it is well worth the effort to visit this poignant and powerful tribute to the 2004 tsunami.