A devastating earthquake and a resulting tsunami hit coastal areas of Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. The quake was the second strongest ever recorded since 1900, with a Richter magnitude of 9.3, triggering a massive tsunami with wave heights reaching up to 10 meters in coastal towns and developing maximum tsunami run-up height of 49 m in Rhiting, south west of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The tsunami affected Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya, as well as other countries around the Indian Ocean. A reconnaissance visit was conducted to Thailand and Indonesia to investigate the significance of the earthquake and tsunami on physical infrastructure. Non-engineered reinforced concrete structures, low-rise timber frames and unreinforced masonry buildings suffered extensive damage due to tsunami wave pressure and impact forces induced by floating debris. Engineered and well constructed building survived the tsunami without much damage. Banda Aceh suffered extensive damage due to seismic excitations. A large number of non-engineered and engineered reinforced concrete frame buildings experienced partial or total collapses due to lack of seismic design practices.