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A personal comment on the disaster that has struck Thailand and this region of the world
When this newsletter evolved around two years ago, from a simple E-mail, as a way of conveying some idea of my life here in Thailand, I wrote then that its purpose was purely that. It was never intended to be a comprehensive newspaper in the conventional sense. Furthermore I stated then that its theme would be purely light-hearted; it would neither comment nor even report on ‘heavy’ subjects such as politics, wars or conflicts, nor would it dwell on the more sombre sides of life here.
That is not to say that I intended to pretend they did not exist, nor to give the impression that Thailand in general and Pattaya specifically was in any sense ‘Shangri-La’, i.e. a idyllic place where only good happens, simply that I did not wish nor had the resources to cover the less happy side of life that regrettably exists everywhere.
For as most of you are probably aware, in spite of jocularly speaking from time to time of ‘our team of reporters’, the fact is that apart from occasional photographs kindly provided from time to time by friends, the only actual reporter is I alone.
However I feel I cannot let the very recent tragedy that has struck parts of Thailand as well as the rest of this region pass without expressing some personal view and that therefore is the sole subject of this specific ‘tail’.
Like a good many people here in Pattaya, I spent most of the 26th December being unaware of events happening not that far afield until later that day I turned my television to BBC World News.
Actually that is not strictly correct. I had as I usually do, turned my television on immediately upon getting out of bed and had half heartedly watched the news whilst preparing breakfast. I did hear mention of an earthquake in Indonesia, but it was not then the top news story and Indonesia seeming a long way away and news of earthquakes there not being that uncommon, I did not pay any particular attention to it.
In true traditional fashion I spent most of that day, Boxing Day, ‘working off’ the excesses of the previous day’s (or to be precise 3 days) eating by dozing in my armchair whilst half watching a series of forgettable movies.
I may have from time to time, glanced out over my balcony at the almost always tranquil waters of Jomtien Bay just a few hundred metres away, but if I did, I certainly did not see anything to grab my attention, and from what I was later told there was not so much as a ripple on the sea here.
So, as I said, it was not until much later that day when I retuned the television back to the BBC that any news of the disaster that had been unfolding whilst I slumbered impinged upon me.
And even then, the true scale of it did not become apparent for some hours or even days, and we began to see film footage mostly taken by holidaymakers, of the actual waves hitting, and the devastation wrought.
Having just some two months previously had a short vacation on Phuket Island, and having not only stayed at a beachfront hotel, but also taken a boat trip to the Phi-Phi Islands, my attention was naturally concentrated on reports from these specific locations, my mind comparing the pictures coming in of how they looked now with how I had previously seen them.
Then, in common with many people I have spoken to since, I began to receive a number of E-Mails from family and friends in other countries all of then asking if I was Ok.
I suppose, again like some others, my initial reaction to these was one of minor irritation and a mental reply of ‘Of course I’m Ok, don’t you know the difference between Pattaya and Phuket?’, but this was quickly overcome by firstly a realisation that perhaps quite naturally someone unfamiliar with Thailand would not know the difference, just as most Thai people would not know the difference between say Brighton and Bridlington, and secondly a warmth of feeling that people still cared enough to write and enquire.
So to those of you that did take the time and trouble to write, I do most sincerely thank you for doing so and am truly most grateful for your concern.
And whilst composing my more considered replies to these mails, it became clear to me perhaps just how lucky we were here. For it was only that long relatively narrow strip of land that runs from Burma to Singapore and which took the brunt of the waves that protected us from disaster – places much further from the epicentre than we were but mostly in the opposite direction were very badly hit, many much more so than anywhere in Thailand.
As I said at the outset, not in the true sense being a news journalist, I am not in any way thinking of ‘covering this’ disaster in the normal sense, – the professional news media are already providing all the coverage required. In fact with the virtually non stop saturation bombardment, especially on BBC World, the only English language news channel I usually watch, risking I feel a fear of ‘care fatigue’, I would not wish to add to this.
I did however, a few days ago, receive an E-mail from a friend of mine, Rob Astbury, who had been spending Christmas near Patong Beach in Phuket, and who fortunately was personally unscathed. This mail directed me to an article he had submitted to an Australian website detailing some of his experiences in the aftermath of the disaster together with a number of dramatic photographs he took. These probably more than any news media footage, again personalised the tragedy for me. If anyone wishes to read this article, it can be found at:-
http://www.crikey.com.au/media/2004/12/30-0004.html
Please do not be put off by the word ‘crikey’, this article is neither sensationalist nor does it in any way seek to trivialise the event, the word is simply the generic name for this website.
And whilst reading this article you might wish to contrast Rob’s photographs with some of those I displayed on my newsletter feature about Phuket as it was when I visited last October (still available under ‘Previous Editions’).
In particular the very last photograph I took, which was of our tranquil hotel café on the beachfront where we had our last breakfast prior to returning to Pattaya – I dread to think what that looks like now.
In the days between Christmas and New Year a general feeling and in fact an official proclamation of mourning persisted. All the official and most of the hotel New Year planned festivities were either cancelled or severely curtailed, and most people I have spoken to felt this to be correct. Of course the New Year was not completely ignored by individuals and many private parties still took place.
Local organisations both official, e.g. city councils, and private, e.g. various social clubs, have begun to organise collections of money, clothes and other items to help those affected, and whilst these are to be commended they are of course very small compared to the vast sums being promised and we hope delivered by foreign governments.
In this respect Thailand is in a much better situation than some other affected countries. Firstly although severe in parts, overall the country was less damaged than either Indonesia, Sri Lanka or even India. And Thailand’s infrastructure is much better developed than many others in the region. In fact the Thai prime minister has stated that Thailand is not so much in need of cash aid, more of expertise in firstly identifying many of the dead and secondly in starting the process of reconstruction.
And that now as I write some two weeks after the event is where the attention is starting to focus, getting the reconstruction and rebuilding under way and especially in Phuket which is so dependent on tourism, repairing the facilities and getting the visitors back as soon as possible.
For there must be a good number of people who have booked or planned to come to Thailand for a holiday in the next few weeks or months.
It is obviously a matter for each person to decide whether to still come or not and the only advice I would seek to give is that firstly on practical grounds, if your planned location is not in one of the affected areas, (and it was only that South West coastal strip that was affected, places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai in the North, the Gulf of Thailand resorts such as Koh Samui or Hua Hin and of course here in Pattaya are undamaged and still open) then if you do come, you will still be able to have the holiday you had planned and will still find that you will receive a very warm welcome, perhaps even warmer than ever.
If however your destination was in Phuket or surrounding areas, then of course your travel agent or advisor should be able to inform you as to whether it is actually still practical for you to come at stay at your resort or hotel, or whether an alternative location might be possible.
But over and above that, it would only be natural for you to wonder if you would want to come, especially in the immediate future whether you would feel comfortable when you might find yourself sunbathing on a beach or sitting at a bar or restaurant whilst clearing up is still carrying on all around you.
And I’m sure the natural reaction would be to say ‘No I wouldn’t be’, but I would ask that you also consider the other side of the story, namely that Phuket and it’s surrounding areas owes most of its livelihood to tourism, and at this moment a large number of tourist related business owners not to mention their employees are either already out of work or struggling to survive and recover, and they need visitors to return, and return quickly, in order to do so.
Of course such the decision to come or not must be for each individual to make, but if in general for perfectly understandable reasons, too many people decide to stay away, then that, in itself, would be another tragedy.
I will leave you with that thought and as this is still Thailand, still the land of smiles, even if those smiles are a little forced at present, perhaps this image of Christmas here (courtesy of ‘The Bangkok Post’ who I hope will not on this occasion mind my ‘borrowing’ it), and wish all a peaceful, prosperous and above all trouble free remainder of 2005.
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