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The Go Differently Team - March 2006
Letter of thanks to JR, one of our recent clients who volunteered at the Karen Hilltribe village...
"Thank you so much Miss JR who had taught English and did activities together with the local children. The teacher and children would like say hello to her and thank her so much for their new toilet and kitchen and for her help with farming. We hope that our Karen Home stay will continue to work for education of the children. "
Letter received from our partners in Thailand who visited Khao Lak in April 2005
Current situation in Phang-na Province, 3 months after the Tsunami
Dear Friends
From 21 to 24 March I have visited Phang-Na Province, one of the worst hit areas in Thailand by the Tsunami. The main purpose of my visit was to direct donate money to some people in urgent need that lost all on December 26.
I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. B, who initiated this project and gathered almost 1200 Euro during their 61st and 65th anniversary. The area at Khao Lak has completely been devastated. At the coastline all was destroyed, including cars and concrete buildings. Complete villages and resorts have disappeared. Even though the pictures had been shown on television many times already, reality really struck when entering the area.
Almost all the people that live in the area have lost family members, friends or both and are going through an unbelievable difficult time. Emotional support from professional people like psychologists is not much available and also not really accepted in the Thai culture. People tend to think you are crazy when you look for this kind of help so most deal with their problems themselves. The emotional problems of people are so much more severe than property loss though. Our support was of financial base only and unfortunately does not help the emotional states of the people.
As mentioned, many people lost their entire properties. Fortunately, there is a lot of support from government, international organizations, Thai students and volunteers. Temporarily houses have been build for all people. Water and food is everywhere available. There is a lot of construction going on and many people can move into their new homes soon. Reconstruction is going slowly though and it will take quit some time before all people are helped.
Together with J, one of our main guides who joined me, we have been able to find and support several local families. In cooperation with The Life Center, an organization that supports people in need of a home and that are on a waiting list at the government, we have financially supported, so houses could be supplied with electricity and furniture. We have also supported some people financially that were in serious problems. Especially in this time, small shop owners and local resort owners are going through a very difficult time. Their businesses are gone, but many had financed these and have large credits at the bank. There family members have died and some are still missing. Even the people who had arranged life insurance do not get support without being able to show death certificates, which cannot be released for missing people.
In addition to the problems discusses above, besides reconstruction, there are no jobs. Most shops that were not damaged by the Tsunami are also closed, as there are no tourists in the area. Some areas are currently indeed not possible yet to visit for holiday, but Phuket and Krabi for example are open to the public for quit some time already and some areas are even more beautiful than before. Unfortunately, very little people come here and in the entire region, people suffer from the effects of the Tsunami.
In Khao Sok, a beautiful National Park in the South of Thailand, far away from the coast, most resorts are empty or have few visitors. If you are in a financial healthy situation please sent your generous donations to the region here and help the local people.
Donations are still needed here even though the Thai government mentions they do not need any more financial help (politics, they need to show independence and power towards the rest of the world).
In addition, if you ever had plans to visit Thailand, this is the time. Tourism is the only way out for a lot of people and it will give them the opportunity to restart their jobs and future. Please do visit the areas that have been struck by the Tsunami.
Yours sincerely, M
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