On the morning of Dec. 25, just one day ahead of the slated one-year tsunami memorial event in four southern provinces of Thailand, foreign tourists and Thais alike, lingered before the Mai Khao Memorial Wall on the suburbs of Phuket to pay homage to their beloved ones perished in last year's disaster.

The some 150-meter-long wall, lies some 30 kilometers north of Phuket town, was equally divided into 45 subsections, with each representing a country whose nationals have been killed in ruthless waves.

Chrysanthemums, white roses, lilies and orchids were laying in front of the silent memorial wall, on several parts of which pictures, letters and mementoes have been posted to convey condolence and retrospection of the decreased.

A message from the US section reads "Dearest Kali, I'm sorry our paths did not cross in this lifetime, but it obvious and evident that you brought limit less and abounding joy to those who had the privilege to know you. You will live on in all of our hearts forever, delivering a message of inspiration of encouragement for each day. You are loved overwhelmingly, endlessly."

Another poster was addressed to Sandra Blomberg, a Swedish girl with an engaging smile in the picture. "As my heart holds you just one beat away, I cherish all you gave me everyday. Because you are my forever love above and I believe that angels breathe and that love will live on and never leave," said the message. The capitalized letters on top of the poster indicate that the 23-year- old died in Khao Lak on Dec. 26, 2004.

Some 20,000 Swedes were holidaying in Thailand, a favorite destination for people of the Scandinavian country, when raging waves struck on the day, taking 543 Swedish lives.

As the most heavily hit country, Sweden was followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and France. Up to now, 805 bodies or parts of bodies remain unidentified in Thailand, while some 673 names still on the list of the missing.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop said 6,596 people, 1,359 foreigner and 4,761 Thais, along with 476 VIPs, have confirmed their attendance at Monday's memorial ceremony, which will be started simultaneously from the morning at seven location in four southern provinces.

Swedes, however, will be represented in the greatest numbers with 400 people coming to pay their respects.

Goran Aallander, a Swede of his sixties, told Xinhua that he and his wife Susana came back to Thailand to mourn for their two sons, who died in Khao Lak in killer waves.

Mas and Martin went snorkeling on the morning of Dec. 26, 2004 and the pair were shopping on higher land then.

"It was a nightmare. We saw bodies lying around when we rushed onto the beach to search for them," he said.

Mas, 19, was in his military service with concentration on chemical analysis. Martin, 17, studied in university and was an excellent soccer player.

Goran said they have tried all means to look for their sons, but only got their bodies in April and May through fingerprint and dental identification.

Being a subdistrict of Phangnga province, which bore the edge of the unexpected natural disaster, the idyllic shores of Khao Lak has been a popular tourist hotspot for western holiday makers.

Among some 5,395 people listed as dead in Thailand, half of whom were foreign tourists. In Phangnga alone, the death toll stands at 4,225.

Suwat said last year the tsunami cost the kingdom's tourism industry 10 billion baht (245 million dollars), so among worldwide images of the one year anniversary, the government would like tourists to have the correct perception that the Andaman coast is ready to welcome them again.

According to officials from the southern office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the three southern provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phangnga normally accounted for one third, or 130 billion baht (3.1 billion dollars), of Thailand's tourism industry.

Currently, 22 hotels out of the total 87 in Khao Lak have resumed business, while the remaining are still awaiting budget for rebuilding.

Despite his suffering, Goran did not appear to harbor any fears about Thailand. "I don't hate tsunami. We are unlucky to be in the wrong place at wrong time," he said.

The Swede are grateful for the generosity and assistance offered by Thai people in the aftermath of the catastrophe. He said he does not afraid to be on beaches and will continue to make pilgrim to Thailand.

Susana wished she and his husband could give each other hope. " At the beginning, I thought I can't endure this, but now found I can. I have to go on because God will give you strength that you should carry on everyday into future," she said.

Source: Xinhua