THAILAND .-.. PHUKET... February 2005

Bang Tao Beach

Although situated almost on the beach, the hotel where I stayed at Bang Tao Beach suffered little tsunami damage, apart from the beach bars and kiosks. Damage along this huge 8 km. bay was affected by the water depth and beach gradient. Some hotels were completely unaffected, others to varying degrees ( although now often partly open again ). The worst affected area was down by the fishing village of Bang Tao, where the water was shallow for quite a way out to sea.

The hotel .... swimming pools and grounds ( above ) situated on Bang Tao Beach( below )

Looking towards the fishing village ......... and the other way, from the hotel beach area. The bay is ideal for sailing, windsurfing, jet skis etc., and longtail boats ply for hire up and down the bay.

The pictures below ( left ) shows the change in beach gradient looking towards the village, and, ( right ) the shallow water of the boat area.

Although the media played a major part in attracting help and funding with the dramatic tsunami pictures shown worldwide, sadly, in the case of Thailand, the heavy negative images caused many tourists to stay away from Phuket generally. This has caused a severe local problem at the height of the tourist season. Phuket, and it's surrounding attractions even if not directly affected by the tsunami, have suffered considerable loss of income as a consequence.

Phuket itself has been pleading for tourists to return quickly, since so many local people depend on tourism, directly or indirectly..... e.g. hotel staff, shops, boat services, hotel catering suppliers, taxis, tuk tuks etc..

At the time of my visit, many hotels were often far less than 50 per cent full, and offering heavily discounted packages .... especially to Thai residents. Foreign tourists had often transferred to an overbooked Koh Samui, or gone elsewhere in Thailand.

As the following pictures show, there had been damage to beach front buildings in certain areas, and also in the village, but work was proceeding fast on rebuilding. Although the Thai authorities had provided some help and funds for cleaning up and the repair of the main services, and of boats etc., direct assistance to the local residents for individual home repair or rebuilding, and businesses, was coming mainly from a volunteer group
( http://www.handsonthailand.org BangTao ).... but care had to be taken that proper title to the land existed, and other Thai authority regulations were observed.

In the main, insurance or backing financiers, covered damage to hotels. Lightweight beach bars etc., presented no real problem ( other than legality ! ) and the majority were already up and running, if owners had chosen to rebuild.

The " Headquarters " of the volunteer group located in currently abandoned shop premises, and website reference ( below ) .... still advertising for volunteer workers. A similar scheme is also being started for the Phi Phi Islands.

Meanwhile some other pictures... in nearby Patong, also hit by the tsunami, life goes on in Bangla Road

Other local wild life ! The little land crabs move at incredible speed if approached or dive down into their holes in the sand ........... and a couple of local birds have a chat about the situation.

The monkeys at Wat Tham Suwanakuha enjoy a free feed, from the visitors who come to view a huge reclining Buddha situated in a cave in the hillside cliff.

A cruise in Phang Nga Bay starts with the boat threading it's way through mangrove swamps and the sheer limestone cliffs and caverns of some of the 139 or so islands.

Passing by huge stalactite formations and sea villages huddling against the islands .....

Koh Tapu ( Nail Island ) is the " James Bond Island " featured in The Man with the Golden Gun ....... and last but not least .... the sun setting over the Andaman Sea, as viewed from the hotel beach.

Many different, bright, tropical fish and coral can be seen by snorkelling just round the headland at the Surin Beach.

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