OF THE 12 million tourists who visited Thailand this year, many headed straight to the gems of the south to soak up the sun along tropical beaches, dive on spectacular coral reefs and indulge in a languid, sometimes lascivious, lifestyle.

British insurers and holiday firms were today counting the cost of the tsunami that brought death and devastation to Asia.

Volunteers dragged scores of bodies from Thai beaches, inland pools and once-luxury hotels today with the prime minister saying the death toll from earthquake-powered tidal waves could pass 2,000.

As rescue efforts swung into high gear in areas devastated by tidal waves around the Indian Ocean, economists said the impact on most of the region’s economies was unlikely to be severe despite the stunning human cost of the tragedy.