TSUNAMI-ANNIVERSARY/THAILAND


In this combo picture, foreign tourists are seen as they stretcher an injured person along a destroyed beach on Phi Phi island December 26, 2004 (top) and the same site nearly five years after, December 11, 2009. As the world prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 Asian and African countries, scars have yet to heal even after homes have been rebuilt, tourists have returned and foreign aid has ended

In this combo picture, a Thai woman is seen collecting items from the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Patong Beach on the Thai resort island of Phuket January 1, 2005 (top) and the same site nearly five years after, December 10, 2009

In this combo picture, residents and tourists are seen standing in ankle-deep water in tsunami-hit entertainment district of Patong in Phuket (top) December 26, 2004 and the same street nearly five years after December 10, 2009. As the world prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 Asian and African countries, scars have yet to heal even after homes have been rebuilt, tourists have returned and foreign aid has ended.

In this combo picture, tourists are seen at a pier as they wait to be evacuated from the Phi Phi Islands, southern Thailand, December 27, 2004 after a tsunami swept through this famous tourist resort (top) and the same pier nearly five years after, December 11, 2009. As the world prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 Asian and African countries, scars have yet to heal even after homes have been rebuilt, tourists have returned and foreign aid has ended

In this combo picture, survivors are seen as they survey the damage after a tsunami hit the entertainment district of Patong in Phuket (top) December 26, 2004 and the same street nearly five years after, December 10, 2009. As the world prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 Asian and African countries, scars have yet to heal even after homes have been rebuilt, tourists have returned and foreign aid has ended

In this combo picture, tourists are seen outside a hotel as they wait to be evacuated from Phi Phi Island after giant waves swept through the tourist resort December 27,2004 (top) and the same site nearly five years after, December 11, 2009. As the world prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 Asian and African countries, scars have yet to heal even after homes have been rebuilt, tourists have returned and foreign aid has ended.

In this combo picture, tourists are seen walking in the tsunami-hit entertainment district of Patong in Phuket (top) December 26, 2004 and the same street nearly five years after, December 10, 2009. As the world prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 Asian and African countries, scars have yet to heal even after homes have been rebuilt, tourists have returned and foreign aid has ended

In this combo picture, a hotel in Thailand's Phi Phi island is seen after the tsunami January 3, 2005 (top) and the same hotel with tourist enjoying their holidays nearly five years after, December 11, 2009. As the world prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 13 Asian and African countries, scars have yet to heal even after homes have been rebuilt, tourists have returned and foreign aid has ended