Tsunami Recovery in Thailand | Part 3: PHUKET

(Part 3 of a 12 part series)

Five weeks after the Tsunami hit, Sishir Chang went to Thailand to see how the people there were recovering and to see how those concerned could help. The following is the third installment of his experiences in the aftermath of one of the world'’s most devastating natural disasters. Originally published in the Southasian, the article is being republished here, with previously unpublished photographs, with the author's permission.
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Part 3: PHUKET


FLYING INTO PHUCKET, IMAGE FROM SISHIR CHANG

The runway of the airport at Phuket sits almost at the edge of the sea. As the plane came in low over the water to land I could almost imagine this would be the view one would see if they had surfed in on the tsunami. The flight in and the airport itself seemed relatively sparse but there still were tourists coming in and at the arrival hall I was greeted by the sight of statuesque Scandinavian women waiting to whisk Swedish package tourists off to their resort. For a moment I could almost imagine that no disaster had happened and I was there on a slow day. Then I saw a column with pictures of foreigners still missing and information about Western Consulates for those looking for loved ones. At that moment the disaster stopped being a remote menace to be nobly dealt with. Now it was intimate because I was where it happened seeing the actual human costs.


IMAGE FROM SISHIR CHANG

As I talked to people in Phuket I found that many could feel the weight of the tragedy. Michelle, a 20ish Canadian, told me that she had come partly out of curiosity about the tsunami and when she got to the beach she at first had been afraid to go into the water. In the water you would often get mildly stung by tiny jellyfish and Michelle had at times felt like these were the spirits of the dead in the water. I heard from Rosemary Breen, a relief worker from Australia that sometimes she felt the ghosts of the dead in the destroyed village she was working at.

It’s hard to reconcile thoughts like that with a place like Phuket. This is one of the most beautiful places in the world and it is sometimes achingly beautiful. The water is blue and clear, the beaches white with floury sand, there are palm trees and emerald clad hills with gaudy temples and the people are golden hued and lithe with warmth to match. Even the tsunami couldn’t reduce the natural beauty of the place. For foreigners coming from cold dark snowy lands this place is practically paradise.


DAMAGE TO A RESORT, IMAGE FROM SISHIR CHANG


A DISPLACED MILITARY SHIP, IMAGE FROM SISHIR CHANG


IMAGE FROM SISHIR CHANG