The government aims to wind down its relief efforts for local victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami by the end of next year.
Thirty-eight Hong Kong residents have been confirmed killed in the Boxing Day disaster. Two Hong Kong children, both under 10 years old, are still listed as missing.
The Home Affairs Bureau said it had offered to pay the hotel bills and airfare of bereaved relatives wishing to go to Thailand to pay respects to their loved ones privately, after most said they would not join in the official remembrance ceremony on Monday.
During the past year it has approved 24 applications for $200,000 one-off ex gratia payments to the victims' relatives. This was on top of the $40 million raised in Hong Kong to help with relief and rebuilding work.
Acting Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Stephen Fisher said most of the known victims had been accounted for and after-death arrangements had been settled. The government was therefore unlikely to continue its relief work after the end of next year.
'We plan to follow up for a further 12 months to ensure the issuance of death certificates in all the cases,' he sad.