Paradise turned into hell

Two days after a wall of water smashed into the holiday island from both sides, rescuers Tuesday were still retrieving bloated corpses from the lagoon or from the wreckage of shattered buildings.

Every building on the 28-square-kilometre main island, apart from two luxury resorts, was destroyed or badly damaged when tidal waves battered Thailand's southwest coast on Sunday.

Thais who worked to develop the island made famous by the Hollywood movie "The Beach" were mourning both the loss of loved ones and their businesses.

"My wife and son and daughter are safe but I'm still looking for my father, sister and two nieces. I think they're all dead," said Dud Sama-ae, 51.

Apart from his personal tragedy, the entrepreneur's businesses are also gone. "I have nothing left, my business is gone with the water."

"I just finished renovating my restaurant last month, preparing for high season."

When the first wave hit, Dud had no time to warn his family.

"I saw the wave smother the island so I had to climb up a coconut tree and when I looked back to where my restaurant had been there was nothing there."

All 40 bungalows operated jointly with his brother and sister are also gone, he said, estimating that he and his family lost 10 million baht (256,400 dollars) from the disaster.

"Phi Phi is dead. It will decades to bring it back to life, to the level it was before the earthquake."

Thakengsak Diswath, 53, came to Phi Phi 16 years ago when its tourist business was just starting. He has lost his bakery and has nothing left.

"The richest and the poorest on Phi Phi are now one and the same. Everybody must start from zero," he said.

His house was not destroyed but moved 200 metres off its foundations.

Bodies were still being taken off the island as troops joined the search for remaining corpses.

But Samart Srinuan, 45, whose 15 bungalows were severely damaged, was still on the island to try to find his daughter.

"I haven't found her and I cannot go anywhere until I do," he said.