Thai village bears emotional scars

A quarter of the residents of Nam Khem were killed in the 2004 tsunami.

Prapat Kongmeund

The small village of Nam Khem in Thailand was destroyed in the tsunami five years ago.

More than 1,000 people – about a quarter of the residents – were killed.

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Today, few physical signs remain of the destruction in the village.

But as Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay reports, the psychological impact still lingers.

Prapat Kongmeund lost his son in the 2004 disaster.

He used to be one of the most active fishermen in the village, but he has not been on the sea since his son went missing.

Instead, he spends his days drinking and fighting with his wife.

He says he has been thinking of taking his own life so he can be reunited with his son.

Source: Al Jazeera