Boat 813

Hat Khao Lak


This police boat was hurled into an open field 1km inland from Hat Bang Niang (2.5km north of central Khao Lak) by the powerful 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. Today it remains the region’s most prominent reminder of the disaster. There’s a regal entryway and an information booth with a tsunami timeline in Thai and English.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Hat Khao Lak attractions

1. Tsunami Museums

0.02 MILES

Tsunami museums have become something of a cottage industry in Khao Lak. Several have popped up in shops located close to Boat 813 – at least four at the…

2. Khao Lak/Lam Ru National Park

2.2 MILES

Immediately south of Hat Khao Lak, this vast 125-sq-km park is a collage of sea cliffs, 1000m-high hills, beaches, estuaries, waterfalls, forested valleys…

3. Ton Chongfa Waterfall

2.28 MILES

This tiered waterfall makes for a nice half-day trip away from the beach. You can reach the park entrance by travelling 5.3km from the main road. From the…

4. Tsunami Memorial Park

13.26 MILES

The wave-shaped Tsunami Memorial Park in Ban Nam Khem, a squid-fishing village 26km north of Hat Khao Lak that was nearly wiped off the map in the 2004…

5. Phung Chang Cave

23.64 MILES

A dam at the mouth of this cave created an artificial river, which visitors can explore, first by kayak and then bamboo raft as the cave narrows…

6. Thamtapan Temple

23.73 MILES

This unusual Buddhist complex (the name means 'Heaven and Hell' temple) has cave shrines, a dragon tunnel and a collection of grotesque figures…

7. Khao Sok National Park

25.29 MILES

Khao Sok National Park is close to the Andaman Sea, and possesses the classic Andaman topography: signature fern-covered limestone cliffs that shoot…

8. Ko Panyi

28.22 MILES

A stilted Muslim village clings to this small karst island, where most tours dock for lunch. It's busy, but Ao Phang-Nga tour operators can arrange for…