The earthquake and the tidal waves in Indian ocean have killed at least 68 000 people and left millions homeless. The number of dead will likely continue to rise, as the remotest areas are reached by rescue workers. At least 14 of my countrymen have died and over 200 are missing. There seems little chance that many of them are alive, as most of them were in the heaviest hitten areas in Thailand. Terrible end for a terrible year.