Copy of the sad message received from our friends at Golden Buddha Beach...

Dear Friends of Golden Buddha Beach,

My humblest thanks to all of you for your outpouring of concern and compassion. Below is a brief summary of what happened, followed by some suggestions as to how you can help out.

At roughly 10 am on Dec, 26 a tsunami hit Golden Buddha Beach Resort in three successive waves. The first wave did not do any damage, the 2nd and 3rd waves destroyed most of the buildings. Many people made their way to one of the two hills above the resort, where they stayed the rest of the day and through the night. At 8 am the next morning a series of helicopters and boats took people from Golden Buddha to various locations on the mainland. A majority of the guests, members, and staff survived without injury, and are now safely on the mainland. Most injuries were minor, but some required hospitalization.

Unfortunately, not everyone survived. 13 people lost their lives at Golden Buddha when the tsunami hit, caring people who were loved by many. The happiness that these people created in the world lives on, as will their memories in our hearts. I wish I could take more time to honor the value of each of these people’s contributions to humanity, but I am afraid that right now I must refrain from doing so for fear of falling apart.

Many have asked about specific staff members. Staff that died on Dec. 26 include: Duan (driver), Ae (waitress), Lumpan (maintenance foreman), and Lung Luay (gardener). Again, I am at aloss for words to convey how deeply these kind sould will be missed. Other than the four mentiopned above, all staff are unharmed. As the stories emerge from the chaos, one common element is the kindness with which our foreign guests were treated by the Thai staff and villagers.

To those of you who have been to Golden Buddha Beach, you will remember it as a place of caring and community. Now, in a time a great need, we are reaching out to our friends. The recent tsunami has destroyed almost all of the buildings at Golden Buddha. Worse yet, the tsunami destoyed a majority of the houses in several villages near Golden Buddha, including Bak Jok and, further north, Baan Talae Nok. Many lives were lost. Livelihoods have been ruined.

In the wake of this tragedy, we intend to do everything we can to make sure that these communities are able to get back on their feet.

A relief fund has been established to aid Thai tsunami victims living in the villages near Golden Buddha Beach. It will directly contribute to the well being of locals that have suffered the most from this disaster. In the short term people will need clothing, food, water, and medicine. In the long run, the villages around golden Buddha Beach will need support in re-establishing their livelihoods - new homes and fishing boats. (Please click here for more details...) If you would like to donate immediately by credit card via PayPal - click here or see the panel on the left. There are other things you can do to help as well:

Organize fund raisers with your friends, businesses, etc.
Donate to relief groups that work closely with communities, and avoid high administrative costs.
Write letter to the editor of your local newspaper, tell them why you are choosing to do help with tsunami relief efforts.

Your help will go a long way in helping people on the journey back to a normal life. Also, please forward this your friends and family, so that others can also have an opportunity to help. After all, help can come from the most surprising of places.

Thank you for any help you can provide, whether it is through a donation, a kind email, or a loving heart.

Take care, Bodhi Garrett, Dick Sandler, Lory Folledor and many others

About the Appeal Fund - Set up to help rebuild the lives and livelihoods of the local fishing communities.

News - Latest news about Golden Buddha Beach and the appeal fund.

Archived News - Details of previous updates from Golden Buddha Beach.

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