Thai death toll doubles - half are foreigners

Teams of forensic experts packed bodies in dry ice today as Thailand’s government announced that its death toll in the tsunami disaster had doubled to more than 4,500 people – almost half of them foreigners – and hopes faded that more survivors would be found.

Another 6,541 were missing, the Interior Ministry said. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has warned that Thailand’s death toll could approach 7,000.