Death toll from Sunday's tsunamis mounted to a new high on Friday as relief work continued with the pour in of more rescue personnel and donation.
According to the Interior Ministry, by Friday morning, confirmed death toll in the tsunamis has soared to 4,510 with 9, 849 injuries and 6,475 reported missing.
The huge death number included 2,230 foreigners, 2,092 Thais and 188 identified bodies. Among the injuries, 4,992 were foreigners and 1,501 Thais.
"Many people are still missing. About 80 percent of them are likely to have died," Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Friday was quoted as saying by The Nation newspaper.
And there are likely 100-200 more bodies still trapped inside destroyed hotels in the Khao Lak area, Phangnga province.
Local temples and hospitals are overloaded with bodies. In Phuket, an old grave yard has been reopened to receive unclaimed bodies, which will either be buried or stored in cold containers to await relatives.
Body collection was a tough work that needed to be fulfilled in the next few days because bodies were quickly decomposing, said Thaksin.
He added more than 5,000 soldiers have been sent to join 20,000 local officials and volunteers in rescue and relief operations in the affected provinces.
About 100 prisoners with good record also joined the search for dead bodies.
At hospitals, doctors are racing against time to prevent the wounds of tsunami victims from becoming infected.
"Without timely treatment, I fear many of the injured might succumb to infections and complications," said a doctor at Bangkok Phuket Hospital. More doctors from Bangkok have been mobilized to work in the tsunamis-stricken areas.
Meanwhile, public donation to the disaster-stricken south reached 189 million baht (US$4.5 million), Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop said on Thursday.
Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej started by donating 30 million baht (US$714,000) to the Rajaprajanukroh Foundation.
The king was deeply concerned about all the Thai and foreign victims of the tsunami, and asked Thais to stand shoulder to shoulder in giving aid and relief, said Privy councilor General Pichit Kullavanija.
The government has transferred 10 million baht each to the governors of Phuket and Phang Nga, 7 million baht to the governor of Krabi and 5 billion baht to the governor of Rayong to help victims of the disaster.
Liptapanlop said relatives of those who have died or gone missing will get 10,000 baht, while people who were injured get 2, 000 baht. The funds will be distributed to victims according to the list compiled by provincial officials by Jan. 1.
The most needed items in the southern provinces included metal caskets, antibiotic drugs, plastic body bags with zippers, rubber gloves, masks and power generators, noted Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.