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Box 35097, Dar es Salaam Tanzania Tel: +255-(0)766079061 SEI - Asia 15th Floor, Witthyakit Building 254 Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn Soi 64 Phyathai Road, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 Thailand Tel+(66) 22514415 Stockholm Environment Institute, Project Report - 2009 SEI - Oxford Suite 193 266 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DL UK Tel+44 1865 426316 SEI - Stockholm Kräftriket 2B SE -106 91 Stockholm Sweden Tel+46 8 674 7070 SEI - Tallinn Lai 34, Box 160 EE-10502, Tallinn Estonia Tel+372 6 276 100 SEI - U.S. 11 Curtis Avenue Somerville, MA 02144 USA Tel+1 617 627-3786 SEI - York University of York Heslington York YO10 5DD UK Tel+44 1904 43 2897 The Stockholm Environment Institute Comparative Destination Vulnerability Assessment for SEI is an independent, international research institute.It has been Khao Lak, Patong Beach and Phi Phi Don engaged in environment and development issuesat local, national, regional and global policy levels for more than a quarterofacentury. Emma Calgaro, Sopon Naruchaikusol, and Kannapa Pongponrat SEI supports decision making for sustainable development by bridging science and policy. sei-international.org Comparative Destination Vulnerability Assessment for Khao Lak, Patong Beach and Phi Phi Don Sustainable Recovery and Resilience Building in the Tsunami Affected Region Emma Calgaro, Sopon Naruchaikusol, and Kannapa Pongponrat (1) Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, Sydney (2) Stockholm Environment Institute (3) Mahidol University International College, Bangkok Stockholm Environment Institute Kräftriket 2B SE 106 91 Stockholm Sweden Tel: +46 8 674 7070 Fax: +46 8 674 7020 Web: www.sei-international.org Head of Communications: Robert Watt Publications Manager: Erik Willis Layout: Richard Clay Cover Photo: © WiggyToo/Flickr This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes, without special per- mission from the copyright holder(s) provided acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of this publication may be made for resale or other commercial purpose, without the written permission of the copyright holder(s). The study presented in this report has been made possible through financial support provided by the Swedish International Develop- ment Cooperation Agency (Sida). However, Sida was not involved in the design of the study and does not necessarily support the views expressed in the report. Copyright © December 2009 by Stockholm Environment Institute CONTENTS List of text boxes, figures and tables iv List of abbreviations and acronyms iv Foreword vii Executive summary ix 1 Introduction 1 1.1 The 2004 tsunami and its impact on Thailand’s tourism destinations 1 1.2 Project rationale and main objectives 2 2 Conceptualising destination vulnerability 3 2.1 What is vulnerability? 3 2.2 Developing a Destination Sustainability Framework 3 3 Research design and methods 10 3.1 Research design overview 10 3.2 Case study analysis and site choices 10 3.3 Case study methods 10 3.4 Research implementation challenges 11 4 Khao Lak, Patong and Phi Phi Don: destinations in flux 15 4.1 An introduction to Patong, Phi Phi and Khao Lak 15 4.2 Governance structures influencing tourism in Khao Lak, Patong and Phi Phi 18 4.3 Paradise in tatters: the impact of the 2004 tsunami on Khao Lak, Patong and Phi Phi 20 4.4 Post-tsunami recovery levels 21 5 Comparative assessment of destination vulnerability 24 5.1 Exposure 24 5.2 Sensitivity 27 5.3 Responses and system adaptation 47 6 Strategies for building more resilient tourism destination communities 65 References 69 Appendix 2: Case History Design and Implementation 111 Appendix 3: Focus Group Discussion Design and Results 120 Appendix 4: Post-tsunami planning initiatives 125 LIST OF TEXT BOXES, FIGURES AND TABLES Box 1: Phuket Action Plan Strategies 61 Box 2: Key components of DASTA’s redevelopment concept for Phi Phi Don 128 Box 3: The DPTCP plan for the redevelopment of Phi Phi Island 129 Figure 1: Countries affected and the height of the tsunami waves 1 Figure 2: Destination Sustainability Framework 6 Figure 3: Research tasks and design 13 Figure 4: Location map for Patong, Phi Phi Don and Khao Lak 15 Figure 5: Location of Khao Lak 19 Figure 6: Governance structures influencing tourism development in Thailand 21 Figure 7: Tsunami wave pattern and surface elevation as it approaches the Thai Andaman Coast 24 Figure 8: Relationship between run-up heights, inundation patterns and onshore characteristics 25 Figure 9: Tsunami heights and wave direction at Phi Phi Don 26 Table 1: Methods summary 15 Table 2: Tsunami run-up heights above mean sea level 24 Table 3: Summary of post-tsunami planning and redevelopment initiatives 55 Table 4: Patong Seaboard Master Plan zoning directives & outcomes 56 Table 5: Longer-term initiatives designed to build resilience in Patong 62 Table 6: Longer-term initiatives designed to aid business recovery and build resilience in Khao Lak 63 Table 7: Longer-term initiatives designed to aid the recovery of Phi Phi 64 Table 8: Khao Lak interview stakeholder groups 83 Table 9: Patong interview stakeholder groups 85 Table 10: Phi Phi Don interview stakeholder groups 86 Table 11: Open-ended Interview Participants in Khao Lak, Patong, and Phi Phi Don 97 Table 12: Case histories undertaken in Khao Lak, Patong and Phi Phi Don 112 Table 13: Focus Discussion Participant Groups and schedule 121 Table 14: SRDP Pilot projects affecting (directly or indirectly) Khao Lak, Patong & Phi Phi Don 126 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank ADPC Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre AICST APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism AIT Asian Institute of Technology APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation APELL Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level ATRP Andaman Tourism Recovery Plan BOT Bank of Thailand CBO Community-based Organisation CULT The Credit Union League of Thailand DART Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis DANIDA Danish International Development Agency DASTA Designated Areas of Sustainable Tourism Administration DPTCP Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning DDPM Department for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation DSF Destination Sustainability Framework DVA Destination Vulnerability Assessment ECOT Employers Confederation of Thailand EIA Environmental Impact Assessment iv EPA Environmental Protected Area ETC Ecotourism Training Centre FGD Focus Group Discussion FTUB Federation of Trade Unions of Burma GDP Gross Domestic Product GSB Government Savings Bank Hi Phi Phi Help International Phi Phi IBLF International Business Leaders Forum IEE Initial Environmental Examination ILO International Labour Organisation ITB Internationale Turismus Börse Berlin KTA Krabi Tourism Association MAP Foundation Foundation for the Health and Knowledge of Ethnic Labour MLR Minimum Loan Rate MONROE Department of Coastal and Marine Resources MoTS Ministry of Tourism and Sports NDWC National Disaster Warning Centre NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NOAA US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ONEP Office of Natural Resource and Environmental Policy and Planning PAO Provincial Administrative Office PAP Phuket Action Plan PATA Pacific Asia Travel Association PFHLS Phuket Federation of Hotel and Labour Services PNTA Phang Nga Tourism Association PPTC Phi Phi Tourism Club PTA Phuket Tourism Association PTRMS Phuket Provincial Tourism Risk Management Strategy RC Reinforced concrete RTF Raks Thai Foundation RTG Royal Thai Government SME Small and Medium Enterprise SRDP Sub-regional Development Plan for the tsunami affected Andaman Region SRSA Swedish Rescue Service Agency (SRSA) SNV Netherlands Development Organisation TAG Tsunami Action Group for Migrants TAO Tambon Administration Organisation TAT Tourism Authority Thailand THB Thai Baht TVC Tsunami Volunteer Centre UNDP United Nations Development Program UNEP United Nations Environment Program UTC Coordinated Universal Time UN-WTO World Tourism Organisation WTO.HRD UN-WTO Human Resource Development Practicum WTO.TedQual UN-WTO Tourism Education Quality Practicum v AcKNOWLEDGEMENTS his report was produced for sub-project 4 (Sida). We would like to thank all those who kindly T‘Sustainable Recovery and Resilience Building participated in the project by offering their time, Strategies in the Tourism Industry’ undertaken by insights and experinces, particularly the communities Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) as part of Khao Lak, Patong Beach, and Phi Phi Don. We of SEI’s Programme ‘Sustainable Recovery and would also like to thank Elnora De La Rosa, Dusita Resilience Building in the Tsunami Affected Region’. Krawanchid, Delia Paul and Matthew Chadwick at SEI The programme was undertaken in collaboration with for providing invaluable support in the final writing Macquarie University Sydney between 2007 and and editing stages of the report. 2009 under SEI’s Risk, Livelihoods & Vulnerability Programme with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency vi FOREWORD he 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was cataclysmic insurance levels were low, and credit histories not well Tfor Thailand’s economy. Tourism is important established. Many businesses experienced difficulties in to the Andaman Coast and to Thailand as a whole, accessing financial capital, which slowed the recovery accounting for 6.4 per cent of Thailand’s GDP and 10.6 process, stifled earning capacities,