A year ago today

[PigDogg]

While many of us are enjoying Christamas dinner back home, it's December 26th in Thailand. Tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters can zap us when we least expect it. So can an auto accident or a terrorist attack.

Life is a precious gift. Enjoy it! I find when I bring forth a jai dee attitude that life seems better. So in 2006, I'll try to remember to be jai dee cause it's easy to get wrapped up in the single minded pursuit of my goals.

RIP to those who died in the tsunami. Whether it was a Thai who lived in his hometown, a European family visiting the beaches, or guys like us who were there for the great sex that nutures our souls, this life is over. Maybe their soul lives on. Perhaps they'll come back for another life. But be it the final end or just a pitstop, RIP.

[daveduke007]

While many of us are enjoying Christamas dinner back home, it's December 26th in Thailand.  Tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters can zap us when we least expect it.  So can an auto accident or a terrorist attack.

Life is a precious gift.  Enjoy it!   I find when I bring forth a jai dee attitude that life seems better.   So in 2006, I'll try to remember to be jai dee cause it's easy to get wrapped up in the single minded pursuit of my goals.

RIP to those who died in the tsunami.  Whether it was a Thai who lived in his hometown, a European family visiting the beaches, or guys like us who were there for the great sex that nutures our souls, this life is over. Maybe their soul lives on.  Perhaps they'll come back for another life.  But be it the final end or just a pitstop, RIP.

here here

God bless

Dave...

[BAM]

Hard to believe it€™s already a year gone by.

[Guest]

When you see Phuket today, it is hard to believe the mess that was there 365 days ago. I didn't see any remnants of damage from the Tsunami, but I went only south of Bangla on Beach Road. Mickey told me there was still some places north of Bangla not yet repaired.
I think we should all spend some time and spend some money in Patong in the near future to do our part helping to stimulate the economy.

[Guest]

I was on KO samui at the time and havent been to Phuet in 5 years, but will definately be going there now for that very reason. feb 6th cant come soon enough

[BAM]

I was on KO samui at the time and havent been to Phuet in 5 years, but will definately be going there now for that very reason. feb 6th cant come soon enough

You're so lucky you were in Ko samui that day.

[Tomcat]

About 12 people got killed in my hotel, the Tara Beach Hotel( i think). I just escaped it as i was sleeping on the first or second floor.

The wave wrecked the back of the hotel which was facing the beach and ran out of steam as it got to my room as the Hotel is built on a kind of gentle slope . Phew!!

One of the guys from the site was there last week and said the the Ladyboy action is very poor. He flew out the next day to BKK.

Its going to take a long long time to get back to normal.

[rob69in]

It was a sad day for LOS & altho' I was in Pattaya at the time & did not suffer any of the actual destruction / grief etc it put a downer on the remainder of my holiday, the Thai's are a collective & they were visibly not the same as the previous day in Pattaya, very much saddened by the events plastered alover the TV's. I let many LB's & GG's use my mobile to call there friends, I thought it was the least I could do. Half the farang idiots around me didn't even know or want to know what was going on.
Some of the LB's left Phuket not just because of the loss of income, but because of there fear of Ghosts ( Ming was one of them ). Hundreds of Thais were buried without proper respect & process for the Budhist way, therefore they did not pass over to the next life properly & became ghosts. This is only being put right now as the bodies are being exhumed & being laid to rest with the proper respect & process in the hope this will help. I truly hope so. We as farang will never know the true grief the Thais went through & are going through as they hide it from us very well. I suggest for thoughs of you who have regular contact with LB's / GG's from Phuket that you do not raise this subject. I know Ming quite well, & she is definitely NOT over it!!

I was in Phuket in May 05 & again this December 05 & I am amazed what the Thais have achieved, more than you can say for some of the other places affectted outside Thailand. In May 05 Patong was verging on a "ghost town" in December it was 95% back to normal, loads of tourists, altho' still down slightly on previous years. I was also enraged by the ignorant disrespectul tourist horde who appeared not even aware that the Tsunami had hit Patong at all !! ( testimony to the efforts of the Thais that so little evidence remains )

I salute you Thailand

I just wonder if us so called "civilised" "developed" countries would have handled it all as well & shown so much compassion, respect & effort towards the foriegners. I really do doubt it !! Something else I discovered which I find almost unbelieveable there those Thais who believe it ( Tsunami ) was a punishment for something they had done. Incredible!!

I will never truely understand this country & its people.