On 26 December 2004 , Phuket and other nearby areas on Thailand 's west coast suffered damage when they were struck by a tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake . The waves destroyed several highly populated areas in the region , killing up to 5,300 people in Thailand , and two hundred thousand more throughout the Asian region . Some 250 were reported dead in Phuket , including foreign tourists . Almost all of the major beaches on the west coast of Phuket , especially Kamala , Patong , Karon , and Kata sustained major damage , with some damage caused to resorts and villages on the island 's southern beaches . Thailand 's hardest hit area was the Takua Pa District of Phang Nga Province north of Phuket , where a thousand or more Burmese workers building new beach resorts died
Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Phuket Province