THE chairs on the beaches of Phuket lay unoccupied. Gone are the days when this paradise island would be crowded with tourists all year round. It was once known as the tourist destination with no low season.

Today six months after the tsunami hit the region in December, it's like Phuket has lost all its charm. The same goes for Krabi, another beach resort along the Andaman coastline. Chanida Chueratanakorn, owner of a restaurant in Au N