The world has moved on since the Asian tsunami five years ago but the people affected by it are still trying to rebuild their lives.

When the great wave hit it took a few days before the true scale of the disaster was known.

I remember flying in a helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln along the coast of Aceh, part of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia just days after the tsunami had struck.

As the pilots and crew transported much needed supplies to the survivors I sat in the helicopter looking down and saw virtually nothing for mile after mile.

The whole coastline had been swept away. Trees, houses and, of course, people were nowhere to be seen. Only the odd mosque built from stone still stood where once there was a thriving town or fishing village.

Its estimated more than 200,000 people died and another 500,000 were left homeless because of the tsunami.

With the help of massive amounts of aid many of the homes have now been rebuilt in the 13 countries affected by the tsunami and people are getting on with their lives.

But they don’t forget that fateful day.

I was sent on assignment to Phuket and Kholak in southern Thailand to see how the people there are coping five years later.

I also reported from there for Fox News after the tsunami had struck.

Phuket and Kholak was then, and still is now, very popular for foreign tourists because of its beautiful beaches and friendly people.

Having been on holiday there myself before I was shocked by the impact of the tsunami.

Many of the popular hotels and bars on the beaches had been destroyed by the wave and thousands of people were dead or missing.

Five years on I went along to Surin beach in Phuket to see how this popular tourist beach had changed five years on.

And on the surface there is nothing to show it was devastated by the tsunami.

Families played in the sea and enjoyed themselves relaxing at the nearby Reggae Bar.

Chatting to the staff of the bar it became apparent that an amazing tale of survival had taken place here.

The owner of the bar, Umarin Choochuy, had been there when the tsunami struck. She was heavily pregnant at the time.

As the Reggae Bar and herself were swept up by the powerful wave it seemed her life and that of her unborn child was over.

“I thought Papa I cannot die because I have the baby. We wait for a long time we cannot die, but the water was so powerful” she told me.

Umarin was swept around in the debris of her bar and was lucky to be finally found by a passing rescue boat from a local hotel.

But despite being saved her ordeal was not over. She had drunk a lot of dirty water and it was feared she could still lose her child.

Five years on Umarin with her husband Narasak have managed to rebuild their Reggae Bar and business is good with tourists returning.

As we sat there watching the sun come down your thoughts, of course, go back to that time of five years ago when there was so much death and destruction.

But playing in the sea with her friends in front of us is Umarin’s daughter Marisa, who did in indeed survive and to me symbolizes the new hope for the people affected by the tsunami.