Phuket Marine Guide: Phang Nga Bay Regatta 2005 Event Report

Alot has been said and done since life in SE Asia was shockingly disrupted by the 26th Dec, Boxing Day Tsunami waves. When the outside media moved on, not much reporting has gone on after the worldwide outpouring of US$$billions being pledged for relief funding to aid the poor and suffering victims, other than a mix up of endless replays on TV of the horrific waves for the first time in history, rolling ashore on Phuket's west coast, just over 7 months ago. One of the most damaging things that affects the whole region in the post tsunami era, are the travel advisories issued by western governments warning their nationals not to travel to this region for safety sake. In the wake of the recent London, Spain, Egypt and Turkey bombings plus the ongoing crises in Israel and the Middle East with the US, perhaps some counter travel warnings should be issued from here, purely to show how ridiculous and harmful these warnings are in countries that rely heavily on deriving their income from serving a vibrant tourism industry.

Now that the Tsunami early warning system is up and running plus soon to be online, I wonder how long it will take the world to come to its senses and realize that the SE Asian region is possibly one of the safest and best places on earth when considering your next holiday vacation. Even if your travel agent advises you against it. Only the other night around midnight there was another earthquake off Sumatra and warnings placed on TV, Radio and SMS'd to people living in low lying areas to move to higher ground in case of a tsunami, which most residents including foreign visitors in hotels quietly adhered to, but thankfully did not eventuate. Better to be safe than sorry I say.

Having lived in the SE Asian region for nearly 15 years, I personally find Asian people to be brought up with strong family bonds and regardless of religious faith or cultural beliefs, taught to be resourceful, polite, courteous, overly inquisitive, helpful, especially friendly to tourists and kind hearted to each other. Hardly a bad word is ever uttered about one another, even behind closed doors! Unless you commit a cardinal sin like being drunk or stupid, which is generally frowned upon.

Taking the time between regattas to do some investigative photo journalism of my own and follow up on a few leads like the LongTail fishing/tourist boat aid program and take a look for myself at how the popular west coast beach side areas have recovered since that fateful day 26/12/04. Like all trips it starts at the bank in busy Phuket town which is positively thriving after grasping modern ICT technologies to do business with. Fortune Magazine recently posted Phuket as the 4th most attractive retirement place in the world. Wow! No wonder there are so many new housing developments and buildings springing up all over the island. I hear the excellent service and treatment at private hospitals and their short waiting list for surgical work has already become attractive to foreigners especially from the USA.

Business confidence seems very high despite the slump in tourist arrivals since the tsunami. As most the island is very hilly, the tsunami damage is only found in low lying properties along the beach fronts. In the small inland townships its business as usual. A new road widening program and with the completion of many government infrastructure projects there is now many ways of driving around or crisscrossing the island.

First stop! Kamala Beach in the Kathu district. This was were the waves did allot of damage and because of the long shallow approaches to the beach could possibly have been the biggest seen on the island. The village is mainly built along the coastal strip which took the brunt of the waves and flooded over into a low lying area behind, right up to the Fantasia amusement park. Most the debris has been removed and the houses, restaurants and bars are either up and running or in the process of being rebuilt. The longtail boats and drivers that frequent a small creek that flows under a high bridge and up the back somewhere were completely inundated in waves that wrecked most the fleet and demolished the small coffee shop, food stalls and dwellings along the way.

One survivor Mrs Popnthip Pensuk, a Muslim shop keeper nicknamed Yai showed me the path she took up the hill behind her rebuilt shop and used again the other night. Her farther was not so fortunate and was swallowed up by the waves in december. Having received small amounts of aid money, Yai and her husband have wisely invested in new fridge units, rebuilding and fitting out the shop, while their house still lays in ruins alongside, on the banks of the creek. A few of the more well healed small hotels and apartments nearby have received financial help from their more wealthier overseas customers to be completely renovated and open for business. I promised Yai to let the world know of her plight and see if any of our readers would like to help her reestablish the family and get their lives quickly back on track. Email news@asianyachting.com.

Tied up in the creek was a number of newly built and repaired timber longtails that were kindly donated by Rotary International in a aid replacement package for the local boat boys to take fishing or tourists sightseeing on. Unfortunately the weather is to rough and a lack of tourists at the moment for them to presently do either, so this is when the family and friends share amongst themselves to survive till high season comes along.

A quick drive over the hills and panoramic coastal cliff route you soon approach the infamous Patong Bay with over 3 km of beach. Other than a few obviously washed out areas that are under repair you would not know that a tsunami had ever been there. Most the clothing, jewelry, nick-knack shops and restaurants have been restored and the Soi Bang La strip of girly beer cluster bars is turned into a walking mall after 6:00 pm these days. If anything there seems to be less sand on the beach and one of my favorite seafood restaurants tucked under the cliffs in south Patong run by the parents of longtail drivers has been completely washed away.

It's a similar scene over in Karon, Kata and down to Nai Harn Beach in the south. Some of the bigger hotels have decided to take the time during the low season to complete renovations and will be ready for the expected rush come Nov - Dec. “This year Phuket King's Cup Regatta will mark the full recovery of Phuket province and the Andaman Coast from the Tsunami damage last year, as well as demonstrate the growing yachting industry of Thailand,” said King’s Cup President Santi Kanchanabandhu, adding that "Yacht racing in Thailand has developed from pure sport into a series of annual lifestyle events which attract attention from a much broader audience than before, including an increasing number of Thai sailors.

So what are you waiting for? If you buy air tickets now there are some incredible deals going on the cut price or budget airlines if you purchase at least a month or 2 ahead. The land of smiling faces is ready to greet you despite the hardships and personal grieving that has been endured.

Goto the Post Tsunami AY Website Edition at: http://asianyachting.com/Archive/newsletter/54Tsunami04htm.

Affiliate websites

www.footprints-asia.com | www.boating-asia.com | www.ys-mo.com | www.yachtsolutions.net
www.asian-regattas.com | www.andamansearally.com