We believe that death toll is now between 600 and 800 in Thailand, but there appear to be hundreds of people missing.

In Phang Nga, 100km north of Phuket, local authorities are saying that bodies are lying where the victims died and many more are floating in the water - perhaps several hundred.

I arrived in Phuket at 7am today and visited survivors at Patong Beach, the major hospitals in Phuket town and the city hall, where the British Embassy has set up a desk to assist victims and relatives.

The stories were graphic and some descriptions horrific. This tsunami was throwing people through walls and limbs were being torn from bodies. Pictures of bodies on the beach and in damaged hotel rooms are devastating, as is the victims board at Phuket City Hall.

The Thai services are overstretched. They have only so many helicopters and boats. A lot of the work is done by charities who operate the equivalent of Thailand's ambulance and rescue service. There is no government ambulance service as such. There has been quite a lot of looting on Phuket.

Many tourists are trying to get off Phuket. They will not go back to the beaches. It's a nightmare. Many have lost all their possessions and are being put up temporarily locally. The local Dulwich International School is providing 100 rooms.

There have been many stories of personal bravery, of people risking their lives for others and ignoring their own injuries to tend to more seriously wounded. The local media is trying to help - appealing for money and blood donations. Thais and foreigners are donating all over the country.

I was in Bangkok when we felt the tremors yesterday. They were also felt in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia and there was a minor earthquake in the northern capital of Chiang Mai.

I thought at first that it was a freak wave. Broadcasters were saying initially that only three people were dead and the Thai Government public relations department said that only one was dead really late into the evening.

But it was apparent from the reports coming in from throughout the region that this was something major.

It was difficult to communicate with southern Thailand. Lines were down. Mobile phone traffic was working sporadically. Eventually reports came in from phone interviews and local correspondents. I worked through the night until 3am and got two hours sleep and left for Phuket.

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