Case file · Haunting
Tsunami ghosts of Khao Lak
After the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 killed thousands on Thailand's Andaman coast, survivors, taxi drivers and hotel staff widely reported seeing ghosts of the drowned.
2004 CE · 8.64, 98.25 · status: account
The account
Monks held mass merit-making ceremonies to help the dead move on, and some tourists avoided rebuilt resorts. Researchers have treated the stories as part of collective mourning.
The sceptical view
Grief, trauma and the scale of loss readily explain such experiences; they are recorded here with respect for the victims.