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02-01-2005, 18:35
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Administrator [1]
Senior Elite Member
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Patong beach, Thailand
Age: 37
Posts: 9,588
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Situation summary - real facts - dont believe everything in media
SITUATION SUMMARY
Statement by Web Sawadee Plc:
Our team has toured the affected areas of Krabi, Phuket, Phang-na (Khao Lak) with a truck loaded with food, drinks, clothes and emergency cash. Given the extensive media coverage, we wish to inform of facts, which are not much present in the media:
Phuket: There is severe damage in the selected beach area of about 500m inwards. However, the impression that "Phuket is gone" is wrong. 80% of the hotels are unaffected and full operational. 10% have damages which can be repaired with 1-2 weeks. Phuket is safe.
Most pictures you see on TV are now taken from the depot where they bring the rubble and trash from the clean-up efforts!
Krabi: Only a few selected areas (like Railay bay) got hit by the wave, but popular destinations like Ao Nang are totally safe. There is a protection wall in place for a long time already and even if the main road was flooded (and now cleaned up), 90% of the hotels are not damaged. Krabi is safe for visit.
Koh Phi-Phi: A large part of infrastructure was destroyed, leaving the island with only 3 full operational resorts. Many lives were lost on Phi-Phi.
Important: The main damage to Krabi Ao-Nang is done by the media, not the wave. Because Phi-Phi belongs to Krabi Province, there is the wrong impression that Krabi mainland is heavily damaged. They are killing Krabi by thinking in Provincial categories, instead of differentiating between Krabi, Phi-Phi and Lanta !!
Phang-Na/Khao Lak: This area got the worst hit and has the highest number in lost of lives. Most parts of Khao-Lak are virtually destroyed and it will take time to get a picture of the full extend. Khao Lak accounts for more than half of the death-toll.
Summary:
With the exception of Phang-nga/Khao Lak/Phi-Phi, the other destinations are not as bad as it appears in the media.
What you see on TV are the sites of destruction, what you don't see is the 90% unaffected part of the area. It should also be mentioned that destinations like Samui and Pattaya are perfectly save, as there was no Tsunami at all. Samui is in the gulf of Thailand (east-cost) and not in the Indian ocean (west-cost)
New Year greetings 2005 from Thailand.
Our thoughts are with those who are suffering,
or have lost their beloved ones.
May God bless you, whatever God you believe in.
YOU can help by NOT CANCELING your visit to Thailand.
The Thai people rely on your visit to keep their jobs to survive!
Jan.02, Web Sawadee Public Company Limited
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02-01-2005, 19:09
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Registered User [4133]
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: merioneth,innit
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totally agree,wish iwas back where iwas 3 weeks ago,don't the media realise that by scaring everybody away from areas that are trying to get back on thier feet,open up the bars etc. that they are just causing more suffering through unemployment and even bankruptcy amongst thais and ex-pats.the times news paper even had the gall to critisise people in patong for going back to the bars too soon ,i know a great tradgety has occurred but how long do you mourn ,and when do you try to get back to life? i dont know for evaryone but somebody needs to be spending and putting money in local pockets.this is now only relevant to places coming back to life and not to utterly destroyed areas like sri lanka and aceh province ,indonesia phi phi and khoa lak.anyway allbm's should get back to patong when they can and try and kickstart the economy.......see you there !!
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02-01-2005, 19:11
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Registered User [1158]
Senior Elite Member
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Thailand
Posts: 5,555
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Sunday 2nd Jan 'tour'
Adding to 'Web Sawadee' that Nicke has posted ..... personaly can say on postive note after doing a 'tour' round the island .... Patong ... virtually back in full swing ... even access to Ocean Beach Road but looked very grim in the still flooded basement (and smell was very srong) .... the open view along the beach is something they should keep and make redevoplment more in keeping with the world class resort they are trying to promote. Got trapped behind some 'official convoy'... why do they need 30+ cars to ferry these dignitaries around when they hold up the guys clearing the debris?! Anyway some very fierce selling going on on Rathuthit Rd - opposite Cristins (now closed for the holidays?) ... good quality tee-shirts for 50B and shorts/jeans for 100/150B - Thai sellers so hope not stolen from legit owners but thought was encoraging to see so much trade going on.
Bars in Karon are back open (3.30pm) when we were there - cosmetic damage and they have done a great job cleaning up. Kata cleared too.
Rawai looks to have been barely touched - only real sign is beached and damaged boats on the beach.
Chalong Bay - heard some bad stories here, but most damge cleared but boats were sailing to outlying islands with tourists (farang)!! Old pier washed away (got to be good thing as was pretty unsightly) and new peir now seems a timely addition!
All in all seemed a positive feel considering what happened just one short week ago. So if your planning a trip - go for it - you will enjoy the pristene beaches and the economy here needs continued support !
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02-01-2005, 19:14
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Registered User [3169]
Junior Member
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Tasmania Australia
Age: 45
Posts: 53
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some truth at last
i have noticed the media havent shown pictures of the whole of patong only selected areas i am glad the damage isnt as devastating as i thought and good on the locals for getting back on track after all they still have to live
cant wait to go back myself 
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02-01-2005, 19:33
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Registered User [847]
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: On the road until further notice
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Well what can I say only news that sells is bad news. Everything Nick says is correct. Only Beach road is the problem in Patong. Its alive and kicking believe me.....................
G
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02-01-2005, 19:53
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Registered User [4665]
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: earth
Age: 32
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show pics off clean up
i ask people who are there at the moment to take pics of the clean up and postive things happening now i have booked my ticket for my next trip in a few months i still go what ever the situation but at the pic gallery only pics of destruction please post some positieve pics !!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks
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02-01-2005, 20:05
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Administrator [1]
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Patong beach, Thailand
Age: 37
Posts: 9,588
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Good idea, I will make a new Gallery with recent pics so people see how patong is really looking now.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by teerakinlos
i ask people who are there at the moment to take pics of the clean up and postive things happening now i have booked my ticket for my next trip in a few months i still go what ever the situation but at the pic gallery only pics of destruction please post some positieve pics !!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks
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02-01-2005, 21:53
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Registered User [1178]
Junior Member - Bronze
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Estonia
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Nicke
Good idea, I will make a new Gallery with recent pics so people see how patong is really looking now.
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Happy New Year Nicke,
You're doing fantastic nice job to keep us here around the world updated!
Please, maybe You can update sometimes also Karon current situation?
Hereby will copy my message from another thread - what has not replies at all...
Hi all BMs,
please kindly inform me , how is current situation with hotel Karon Beach Resort?
As it is directly on Karon Beach in Kata side (southern) end, I suppose that it is severely damaged.
In hotel information page http://sawadee.com/tsunami/hotels.htm
I can find information in RED color about this nice hotel.
Waiting for Your information when possible - this is absolutely not urgent request, but should help me a bit, I have booked room in this hotel for 2 weeks beginning Feb.28,2005. If travel agency only allows, I will definitely arrive and make our beloved Phuket a bit more tourist crowdy .
Happy New Year 2005 to all Board Members
Sincerely,
Baltic
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02-01-2005, 22:12
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Registered User [2454]
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ireland
Age: 26
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Baltic
Happy New Year Nicke,
You're doing fantastic nice job to keep us here around the world updated!
Please, maybe You can update sometimes also Karon current situation?
Hereby will copy my message from another thread - what has not replies at all...
Hi all BMs,
please kindly inform me , how is current situation with hotel Karon Beach Resort?
As it is directly on Karon Beach in Kata side (southern) end, I suppose that it is severely damaged.
In hotel information page http://sawadee.com/tsunami/hotels.htm
I can find information in RED color about this nice hotel.
Waiting for Your information when possible - this is absolutely not urgent request, but should help me a bit, I have booked room in this hotel for 2 weeks beginning Feb.28,2005. If travel agency only allows, I will definitely arrive and make our beloved Phuket a bit more tourist crowdy .
Happy New Year 2005 to all Board Members
Sincerely,
Baltic
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You should email or ring the hotel and they might be able to give you some info.
__________________
LIFES A BIT*H THEN U MARRY 1
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03-01-2005, 00:31
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Registered User [4746]
New user
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: USA
Age: 35
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Proof of Life for the Nightlife
To any BM coming and going from Patong or Phuket, and especially for those living there --
please post pictures of the nightlife now as proof of life that the famous Patong nightlife we all love is still alive and kicking. I'm planning on coming with friends at the end of February (this will be #3 for me) and I need to show these fellas that the sun is still shining, the beer is still flowing  , and the ladies are still smiling  . They keep sending me AP or CNN pictures of empty bars and I know that's not the reality of the situaton. So, please, post pictures of the recent nightlife.
Marc
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03-01-2005, 09:36
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Registered User [4170]
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Norah Head, Australia
Posts: 3,327
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maf86 check this link has some photos of bars on th 31/12
about 25% down page
http://www.phuket.com/phuket-photos/index.htm
__________________
MAY THE BEER BE COLD AND ALL YOUR BETS WINNERS
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03-01-2005, 11:05
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Banned user [4675]
Senior Elite Member
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Age: 3
Posts: 1,343
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Life goes on...
Since I have arrived at Phuket Airport unnecessarily early (they said come early to sort out water damaged tickets, then said no problem...) and I found a free wireless Internet hot spot (near International Departures, provided by TOT), here are some afirmative images from post-tsunami Patong...
Dscf0017.jpg (74.9 KB) - Some boats were better suited than others for the wave (Chalong Bay, 02-01-05)
Dscf0107.jpg (86.2 KB) - As were some swimmers - dive operations to all sites except Phi-Phi running as normal. Visibility good and reefs and wrecks like King Cruiser not significantly altered (Racha Yai, 02-01-05).
Dscf0021.jpg (79.0 KB) - Traffic on Rat tu Thit road back to normal by 31-12-2004
Dscf0053.jpg (86.9 KB) - A cerain humour persists even on the beach front (Patong Beach, 01-01-2004, but first seen 27-12-2004)
Last edited by Tyfon : 03-01-2005 at 11:14.
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03-01-2005, 11:10
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Banned user [4675]
Senior Elite Member
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Age: 3
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Dscf0067.jpg (91.4 KB) Bangla Road from the North...
Dscf0072.jpg (84.1 KB) ...and from the beach (both 31-12-2004 around 9pm)
Dscf0076.jpg (73.0 KB), Dscf0078.jpg (78.0 KB), Dscf0080.jpg (63.2 KB) MTB just after midnight 01-01-2005.
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03-01-2005, 11:13
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Banned user [4675]
Senior Elite Member
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London
Age: 3
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Dscf0088.jpg (73.6 KB), Dscf0091.jpg (76.4 KB) - Happy New Year at MTB!...
Dscf0084.jpg (85.3 KB) ... Though there's always someone who has to work... 
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03-01-2005, 12:33
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Registered User [3169]
Junior Member
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Tasmania Australia
Age: 45
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by aussie dollar
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THANKS AUSSIE GREAT TO SEE THE PICTURES UNREAL HOW IT HAS BOUNCED BACK THAT SITE IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO SEE
CHEERS
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03-01-2005, 17:51
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Honorary Moderators [672]
Senior Elite Member
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Bournemouth England
Age: 8
Posts: 11,468
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Thanks for the pics tyfon,really shows Patong getting back to normal.
__________________
I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Granddad
Not screaming in fear like his passengers
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04-01-2005, 15:41
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Registered User [743]
Junior Member - Gold
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: SoCal
Age: 34
Posts: 420
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lookin' good!
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05-01-2005, 00:05
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Registered User [940]
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Switzerland
Age: 50
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Tyfon
Dscf0088.jpg (73.6 KB), Dscf0091.jpg (76.4 KB) - Happy New Year at MTB!...
Dscf0084.jpg (85.3 KB) ... Though there's always someone who has to work... 
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Which lady needed the red bull for the night, mixed on the right foto ?
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