An Oxfordshire man who lives in Thailand narrowly escaped death when the country was hit by the Asian tsunami wave on Boxing Day.

Richard Balderson, 40, would normally have been working at the Thai beach resort of Phuket but was on holiday in Bangkok with his Thai girlfriend Duangjai Tivasurade when a massive undersea earthquake unleashed killer waves across the Indian Ocean.

Mr Balderson, who works at the Laguna Holiday Club, moved to Phuket two years ago from Finstock.

His father John, of Colwell Drive, Witney, said his son was incredibly lucky to be alive. He added: "The first we knew about it was when he called his sister Julia on Boxing Day to let her know he was all right.

"The water got as far as the doorstep of his house. He said if he had been at home he would have been caught, as he would have been on the beach. He has lost a few friends.

"Richard said the whole of the beach area is flattened and all the little restaurants and shops which were there are gone."

Mr Balderson said his son had cut his holiday short to return to the resort to help survivors.

An Oxford University lecturer escaped injury when the wave hit Phuket, but he still fears for friends who are unaccounted for. Dr Charles Ramble, who lectures in oriental studies, was on holiday with friends when the wave struck.

Dr Ramble, who lives at Wolfson College, in Linton Road, said: "I was in Phuket, in an area called Kamala, when the tsunami came in, but the house where I was staying with friends was on high ground and the water didn't reach us. I'm now in Bangkok, but I heard that yesterday another 10 bodies were washed up on the beach below the house where I was staying.

"I have a number of friends who were holidaying nearby and still haven't been found."

Four friends from Kennington who were on holiday in Thailand are safe and well. Philip Westell, 33, an electrician, Darren Field, a former professional boxer now a plumber, and Neil Johnston, a decorator, all from Otters Reach, were on an island that was not affected by the tsunami but Chris Gillam had travelled to Phuket. When the waves struck he escaped injury, but lost his possessions.

Retired Oxfordshire shop manager Chris Cannon has turned up safe and well in Thailand after being missing for five days.

Mr Cannon, 62, of Kytes Place, North Green, Kirtlington, was with friends Alan Beckley, of Heyford Road, Kirtlington, and Mr Beckley's mother Lynn Beckley, 80, of Marston, Oxford, on a three-week trip to Thailand. Yesterday, he phoned former colleagues at Touchwoods, in Abingdon Road, Oxford, to let them know he was safe after they decided not to travel to Phuket for Christmas.

Speaking from Pattaya, Mr Beckley, a computer consultant, said: "It was very lucky we made that decision. I was touched by the number of e-mails I received from people worried if we were OK."

Friends of Oxford City NHS Primary Care Trust's senior public health manager Jackie Wilderspin, told of their relief after hearing she and her husband and daughter are safe and well in Thailand.

Ian Betteridge finally managed to contact his parents Alan and Sue, of Buckingham Road, Bicester, to tell them he was safe. Ian, 30, who is working in Tokyo, had been holidaying in Koh Phangan with his girlfried when the tsunami struck.

Ian Stanley, of Oxford, is waiting to hear from his daughter Julia Rose, who is missing in the Maldives.

Abingdon United Football Club is to donate £500 to the disaster appeal. It raised £200 in a raffle after the game with Milton United and will add £300 more from events at a New Year's Eve party tonight.

The Foreign Office has an emergency helpline -- 0207 008 0000.