After tsunami, fishermen struggle against tide of tourism in Thailand

Hong Klathalay (L) carries gear on his way to his fishing boat in Khao Lak, Phang Nga province December 14, 2014. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

THUNG WA, Thailand (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - After the tsunami pounded Thailand’s Andaman Sea coast a decade ago, the ethnic Moklen fishing communities that have lived here for generations buried their dead, fought off land grabs to rebuild their homes, and - surprisingly - sighed in relief.

The tsunami had destroyed sprawling seafront luxury resorts that had blocked public access to the sea and had halted the rampant tourism that threatened to push the Moklen fishermen off their ancestral lands in Phang Nga province, north of the resort island of Phuket.