BANGKOK, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Thailand's death toll from the catastrophic tsunami has soared to nearly 5,000 on Sunday with thousands of people still missing, said the Interior Ministry.

    By Sunday morning, 4,985 deaths have been confirmed and nearly 10,350 people were injured and about 6,424 were still missing, said the ministry's disaster prevention department.

    Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said earlier that the kingdom's final death toll from the disaster is likely to reach 7,000-8,000 as those missing people could be dead one week after the disaster hit a couple of countries around the Indian Ocean.

    In Phangnga alone, the official death toll had increased to 3,943, with 5,597 others injured. Operations by state officials and volunteers to search for the missing ones are still underway.

    The unprecedented tsunamis, caused by one of the world's strongest earthquakes in the Indonesian resort island of Sumatra, lashed Thailand's six southern coastal provinces, including Phuket,Phangnga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun, last Sunday.

    Several other Asian and African countries were also hit by the tsunamis, leaving nearly 150,000 dead so far.

    Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Public Health Vichai Tienthavon said the ministry has set aside a reserve fund of more than 100 million baht (2.38 million US dollars) to prevent and treat diseases among survivors of the disaster.

    Over the weekend, about 80 percent hotels in Phuket have resumed operations and offered 50-75 percent discounts for guests.

    Some national parks in the affected areas have also reopened to visitors, including the Tarutao, Phetra, and Chao Mai National Parks. Enditem