American History Tellers - Listen Now: Against The Odds | Tsunami In Thailand

Episode Date: November 4, 2025

Humans are resilient. In our toughest moments, we will fight, we will struggle, and we will triumph...often against the odds. In this immersive series from Wondery, host-adventurers Mike Corey and Cassie De Pecol will share thrilling stories of survival. From the daring rescue of a soccer team trapped in an underwater cave in Thailand, to a woman taken hostage by Somali pirates, these stories made headlines around the world.Against The Odds will make you feel as though you’re living these experiences with our heroes as they push themselves to their limits. Listen to Against The Odds: Tsunami In Thailand: https://Wondery.fm/ATO_IFDSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Picture this. You're standing on the beach when you notice something strange. The horizon doesn't look right. At first, all you can see is a thin white line stretching as far as your eyes can see. Then the line starts to rise. But it's not the horizon at all. It's a wave, a 30-foot wall of water. And it's racing straight toward you. What would you do? On the day after Christmas in 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a devastating tsunami. It struck Thailand without warning. No alarms, no cell phone alerts, no evacuation. In this season of Against the Odds, experience one of the deadliest natural disasters in history through the perspectives of those who did everything they could to survive. Follow against the odds on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Thirty-four-year-old Wachari Tongtay sits on the front steps of her home in the village of Namkem Thailand. She sticks a knife into a watermelon and cuts off two slices. Her daughters, eight-year-old Rattikhan and three-year-old Soudarot, eagerly hold out their hands. Wachari smiles at them as she hands them the fruit. It's late morning on December 26, 2004, and already a bright, warm day.

Watchery loves where she lives, just a few feet from the beach. From her porch, she can see the white sand glittering from between the stands of palm trees. She goes back to slicing the watermelon, but then a commotion distracts her. It sounds like people are arguing on the beach. She tilts her head, but she's too far away to make out what they're saying. and she can't see who it is. She shrugs. It's probably a squabble among fishermen.

Still, she wonders if it might concern her husband, Weiman. He's a fisherman himself, and he left early this morning with his brother to fish from their boat a few miles out to sea. As the commotion continues, watchery decides she should make sure that Weimon's not involved. She tells her daughters to stay put

and walks toward the sound of the voices. A few seconds later, she steps through the stand of palms onto the beach. But instead of fishermen fighting, she finds a group of her neighbors gathered on the sand. They're pointing toward the horizon, talking excitedly. Watcherie follows their gaze and can't believe what she sees. A massive wave stretching across the entire horizon.

It's at least 10 feet high, probably more, and it's not far off either, maybe 500 yards away. She stands there for a few seconds, transfixed. But as it moves closer, she notices that it's not breaking. It's just surging toward them. A steamroller of water that seems to grow larger and larger. She's never seen a wave this big, not in all her years living near the sea. And then she realizes, this thing won't stop at the shoreline.

When it hits the beach, it's going to keep going. Her mind flashes to her children, and she turns around and runs back to her house. They're still on the porch. She scoops up three-year-old Suda-Rat in one arm and grabs eight-year-old Rattikon's arm with her free hand. Rattikon pulls back. Mom, what are you doing? But watchery doesn't answer. She just runs, pulling Rattikon along.

They reach the road behind their house, and watchery flies across it. practically dragging Ratticon through the dirt. Then she sees the pond on the other side. It's a hundred yards wide. Watchery pivots, still clutching her daughters. She runs parallel to the beach now, racing to get around the pond. Other villagers are running too.

Some are screaming. But the screams are overtaken by the roar of rushing water. Watchery glances toward the ocean, only to see that a mighty surge of water is barreling down on them. It's sweeping through the village, destroying everything in its path. Watcherie comes to a horrifying realization. They can't outrun it. It's going to hit them.

She stops running and kneels down, wrapping an arm tightly around each girl and squeezing. She holds them so tightly, she wonders if she's going to break their ribs. The water rushes forward. Watcherree closes her eyes and braces for impact. Follow Against the Odds on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of Against the Odds tsunami in Thailand early and ad-free right now on Wondery Plus.