Guest Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 This may seem like a selfish post, but please understand I am as horrified as anyone by these events but I have to ask this question. I am due to fly in to phuket for a holiday in patong on 3rd January. Should I? Will it be too devastated? Is there any point `holidaying` amidst such loss? Or is it a plain fact that the locals will be sorely in need of my tourist money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Hi cotambear, depending on if you're flying from inside or outside Thailand. First you must wait at least one day until a clear picture of the damages is ready. If the situation is as bad as we can guess now and you're traveling domestic we can guess that the hotel booking will be cancelled, the same if you're arriving internationally and not are on a group tour. If on a group tour the operator will in this case contact you and offer either money back or an other package. If the situation is better than can be estimated now they need your money - shop owners and assistants as well as bar owners and assi.., hm girls. elef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjann Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 i agree with elef. if i was you i would still go,your money is needed for the local infrastructure. you can guarantee that the Government will talk a lot and then do little. if you do go you can be sure it will be chaos still,but things will have started to be cleaned up and hopefully some shops/bars will be able to open. it will take Months for things to get back to normal and i find it a little disappointing that many people are cancelling trips because of what has happened. i'm sure that if it was possibel LP and i would be in Seadragon tomorrow helping to clear up. i feel so sorry for all the people i know who might have lost everything along Beach Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 <<LP and i would be in Seadragon tomorrow helping to clear up.>> Too right we would, Patong will rise like the Pheonix from this carnage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 3rd January ? I think they'll still be finding bodies, if the footage that I've seen thus far is any indication. The initial pictures didnt look too bad, but they put out some wider shots this morning and it looked like a warzone : hotels collapsed, debris everywhere, and a 3-fold increase on the initial estimate of 30-something dead. I may be underestimating Thai resilience here, but I think these people need a couple of weeks to get their lives back in order before they will be ready to start accommodating tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquidflux Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Have to agree with artiew There is going to be major cleanup going on in the next few weeks, not the ideal conditions to be spending your holiday. Save your money for when things are rebuilt and somewhat back to normal. Then you can enjoy the place the way it was meant to be. Your dollars will be appreciated just as much then as now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shit-Spattered Dog Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 I agree,. Check out the pictures of Patong on Soieasy's web site. I posted the link in the T-W thread in the news section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Simple answer: go to Samui. It's wonderful there. But your question underlines a much greater issue. 5 million tourists a year (40% of them) go to Phuket. Like you, they are going to have reservations going there next year, particularly early on. Wonder how big of a wallop tourism will take because of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjann Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Hiya Phil...... after seeing pics of Seadragon and the damage i would be willing to help the locals if i was there. yes it will take time to sort this mess out,but they still need the tourist money. Patong is not destroyed,there are still many places to go for food,shopping,hotels etc. this is the time the Thais need our money,no money from us than no money for repairs,restocking etc. i think many will wait a long time for Government aid,if they ever get it..... at the moment every 5bt will be useful to them. i saw pics of a friends Bar in Soi Eric and it looked a mess,but he was open for business on Sunday Night. albeit in a smaller way then usual but his family and Girls worked their arses off to make the Bar habitable for the Night. yes a lot of stock was lost and a little damage done to the Bar but business as usual........ i'm sure many business owners will be trying their hardest to get back to normal although it will be in a limited manner. this is not just about the Girlie scene,there are many other types of business places in Patong which also depend on the tourists. good wishes to them all........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 CNN is running some good information and pictures on Phuket...Jan 3rd is a week away! The damage is massive...There number of Phuket deaths grow each hour. I have very mixed feeling on this one! Go lend a hand, buy food for locals, bring clothes for the children. I would not vacation in a destruction area so massive...people lives have been destroyed! Lives that had no insurance back up plan or safety net. Plus the disease factor that may move into the area. I'd give it a miss unless you planned to aid the less fortunate SkiBum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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