Five years later, there are many tales of survival from the tsunami and heroism. But perhaps the most amazing is that of a baby elephant saving children from the tsunami.

Elephants, or chang, as they are known in Thailand, are greatly admired here for their intelligence and strength. And that was certainly needed on the day the tsunami struck.

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Virtually every day two days, young baby elephants from the Sheraton Laguna Phuket entertain tourists on the beach. And they happened to be there when the tsunami struck. As the giant wave approached, elephant handler Prayong fled the beach with Ning Nong carrying two young girls to safety. Ning Nong is the reason those two girls are alive today.

The elephants have since become symbols of Phuket’s recovery and continue to return to the beach and the sea every day.

Throughout Thailand, the estimated 8,000 people who lost their lives in the natural disaster are remembered in with some unique monuments. A police patrol which was swept a mile in shore north of Phuket island in the province of Kholak.has been turned into a museum. The Kholak province was one of the hardest hit by the tsunami.

President Bush Senior and President Clinton have visited the area to give their support. The fishing community community was devastated, some of their boats have been left where they were swept onto land so people remember that terrible day. A massive amount of aid and help poured in to help the victims of the tsunami.

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And it is still helping those in need. At the Laguna Phuket Community English Language Center, local children get free lessons supported by the Phuket Tsunami Fund. The help that was provided by donors, aid groups and volunteers has helped hundreds of thousands of people across the thirteen affected countries hit by the tsunami.