Earthquake and Tsunami

Một cuộc sống mới lại đến với Phuket. (Minh họa cho bài viết bên dưới)

Mấy hôm nay làm tin động đất ở Indonesia quá trời. Nhớ lại hồi xưa viết cho báo CHAI cũng có viết 1 phóng sự về Phuket 1 năm sau sóng thần. Lục lại máy, may quá vẫn còn...

Phuket: A New Life Is Coming

Tran Viet Phuong (Frankie)

It was a field trip by Webster Thailand Student Council (WTSC) to Phuket in the Fall break. The bus stopped by the Manohra Hotel at 6 a.m. Phuket was quiet and peaceful in the early morning. It was a normal day in late autumn 2005, almost one year after the terrible Tsunami. If this was your first time to Phuket, you wouldn’t imagine how serious the disaster damaged this island one year ago.

Phuket is actually an island in the south-west coast of Thailand. It has the area of 534km². The East side faces the main strip of the country. The West faces Andaman Sea and Indian Ocean. In 19^th century, Phuket was officially belonged to Thailand after the Siam-Burma war. Started at the beginning of 80s, the tourism industry of Phuket has been developed rapidly. Beside tourism, the people here also earn their living by growing coconut, pepper, and rubber trees.

Worries as coming to Phuket

The first thing that a tourist would think about as coming to this place is the southern violence. However, Phuket is still a safe place because it’s quite far away from the violence provinces. Besides, tourists also worry about another Tsunami may come again after one year. But when they came here, the beautiful landscape of Phuket has removed their worrying about the potential disaster. Otherwise, the gossip about the ghosts after the Tsunami also interferes with the tourists coming to Phuket. Lai Thi Ngoc Mai, a Webster student on her field trip to Phuket said: “I heard that there were a lot of dead people last year. A lot of ghost stories came along after the Tsunami. Actually, I was a little afraid before coming here. However, the beautiful Phuket has made me forget all the worries. I really love this island.”

Rebuild the paradise

As traveling to this paradise island, tourists also wonder if Phuket has been rebuilt or not. They might think it would take years to take Phuket to the situation before the Tsunami.

At Nai Yang beach, few tourists were here. This beach was also damaged seriously last year. Some coconuts and casuarinas trees were fallen down. Most of the houses here are being rebuilt. Bricks and cement packs can be seen along the beach. Along this natural beach, there are few tourists naked sunbathing. Many restaurants were established and decorated beautifully but no one was there. Mr. Saringkan Praphan, a restaurant owner here said: “Before the Tsunami, there were a lot of people coming to this beach. After that, the number of tourists decreased. The government also supports Phuket to rebuild but only Patong beach. There is a national park near hear and the government wants to keep this place naturally.” However, in the south of the beach, there is a resort is being constructed to welcome the tourists in the next season.

At Patong beach, there are more tourists but it’s not as crowded as it was. Everything is new on this beach. Along the beach road, houses and stores have been constructed. There are also some tree roots that were fallen down after the Tsunami. Nothing is special on this famous beach. But the tourists are satisfied by the clean beach and clear water. Unlike in the daylight, Patong is really busy and freaky at night. Everything that Mr. Saringkan Praphan is proved. Patong is supported strongly by the government. No sign of Tsunami exists here, except for some houses are being built. Most tourists concentrate in Bang La Road, the main area of Patong. Bang La Road is really a nice place for tourists. There are bars, restaurants, Thai ladyboys, etc… Looking at Bang La, no one could imagine that the Tsunami had attacked this road. Tourists can find postcards or video CDs about the Tsunami last year at several photo stores or CD shops.

Leaving Phuket, leaving the paradise. We all believe in a bright future for this island. Next year, we’ll go to this place again and see how it changes. A new life is coming to Phuket.

Phuket, October 2005