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Hugh Jardon
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I have tried to find out as much info as I can about the situation there. Firstly, the Hotel that I'm staying in from New Year's Eve emailed me to tell me that they are 300 metres inland at Karon and the Hotel suffered no damage at all. I will contact the other Hotel too, but they are on higher ground and I doubt that they were affected either.
Things would be different if I were going there whoremongering, but I am going with a TGF from Bangkok. I will be hiring a 4x4 or similar and intending to explore the Island on day trips. As such, the only affected areas will be mainly the coastal strip on the Western side of the Island and then chiefly the resort beaches where there was development.
The electricity and water infastructure should be OK in most other parts of the Island too.
As far as I am aware, Phuket Airlines will be flying there on 31st Dec.
At this late stage, it will be almost impossible to find accommodation elsewhere at this time of the year, so I think that I'll still go there to Phuket.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 4:17 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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Vancouver Jay
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So despite the fact that you could make a small contribution to Thai society by staying away while they sort things out down there, you're going to act solely out of self-interest and do the opposite. Okay...
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:44 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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StrayGypsy
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Yeo ! stay over in Pattaya or Koh Sumai..... let things settle for awhile.... many homeless folks now without jobs or property to go to. Not good for tourism as to haves and have nots. You may be bonked over the head by a needy bar girl covering for her sisterhood.
Id cancel and go over to Samui or heck just hit Pattaya.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 4:47 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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Hugh Jardon
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Vancouver Jay
Yes. I'll be really selfish, won't I? I could perhaps stay in England and inconvenience nobody.
On the other hand, I have waited 6 months for this holiday. I am meeting a girl from a dating site for the first time. I have booked and paid for the flights and Hotels a couple of months ago. So much for the selfish aspect of things.
Now for the practical side of it. I am leaving England at 1am tomorrow. I will arrive in Bangkok at 5.30 am on Wednesday and leave for Phuket on Friday, which is New Year's Eve. It took many hours to find accomodation and flights for these two weeks, so what do you think my chances are of finding a room and flights elsewhere, particulalrly as maybe thousands of others who cancel Phuket will be doing the same thing?
Now, lets examine your statement regarding my contribution to Thai society about staying away, eh?
The Hotels would prefer me not to come, eh, even though they will have had cancellations possibly from half their rooms? How about all the other inland businesses? I'm sure that you're well aware that most of the Island businesses survive through the low season on the fat of the high season. It is my intention as mentioned already to stay away from the coastal resorts worst affected. The interior of the Island and most of the opposite coast is unaffected. We will go there and put some tourist baht into local pockets.
Maybe you remember the Harrod's bombing in London by the IRA murderous bastards. Valuable tourism dollars from across the pond virtually dried up for the rest of the season and much of the next ones too. No doubt some bright spark was also urging the tourists to leave the poor Brits to grieve amongst themselves. or maybe they were a little too timed. Us Brits are made of sterner stuff. So I'm going. Perhaps I might even try and give some assistance to the cleaning up operations, but I am sure that for a lot of businesses there, the best thing that I could do is not to shun them and cancel.
Thanks for the links, Hermanolobo
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:48 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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ColoradoGuy
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Quote: from Hugh Jardon on 3:11 am on Dec. 27, 2004
so I think that I'll still go there to Phuket.
What about changing your plans to go to Koh Samed, Koh Chang, Rayong, or even Sanoukville, Cambodia. All very, very beautiful and you will not be in the way of everyone trying to put their lives back together.
Quote: from Hugh Jardon on 6:42 am on Dec. 27, 2004
so what do you think my chances are of finding a room and flights elsewhere, particulalrly as maybe thousands of others who cancel Phuket will be doing the same thing?
Walk into a travel agent in Bangkok and have them book it for you. You will find *something*. Then go for a soapie. 
Quote: from Hugh Jardon on 6:42 am on Dec. 27, 2004
It is my intention as mentioned already to stay away from the coastal resorts worst affected. The interior of the Island and most of the opposite coast is unaffected. We will go there and put some tourist baht into local pockets.
You are staying in Karon Beach? It is on the coast, it is severly affected, I guarentee. It is possible that the hotel is telling you they are unaffected because they do not want to give you bad news - this happens in Thailand occasionally. 
Seriously, I do not think that you will enjoy going to Phuket in a few days for a holiday. All the fun things to do there (diving, island trips, etc.) will be shut down because all the tourists are gone, and many of the boat jetty's are wrecked.
Anyone if you are going down there to lend a hand in helping to rebuild thousands of homes You mentioned this), you would probably be welcomed.
Quote: from Hugh Jardon on 6:42 am on Dec. 27, 2004
The interior of the Island and most of the opposite coast is unaffected.
This is ridiculous, it is not possible for them to be unaffected.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:20 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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Hugh Jardon
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CG
Both hotels are unaffected because they are far enough back from the beach to have escaped the waves.If either of the Hotels are telling porkies, I'll think about relocating then. I prefer to go on the reports of BTF members who are actually in situ and LivingLOS says that in some parts the picture is not as bleak as it's painted by the media.
As for whether the interior of the Island or most of the opposite coast is unaffected, I fail to see why this is a ridiculous proposition. The Island was hit by a tidal wave, not an earthquake. The extent of the damage is the extent of the reach of the wave, which is a narrow belt along the coast facing the impact. Penetration of the wave might have been greater if there was lower lying ground inland from the beach, but Phuket is really quite a hilly place and the first that most of the Island would have known about this if they weren't on the coast at the time was from their radios or TVs.
So I'll keep out of the way of any clearing up operations unless I can lend a hand, but support the local economy by staying there.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:21 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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Kilmarnock
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Quote: from Hugh Jardon on 11:15 pm on Dec. 27, 2004
CG
I prefer to go on the reports of BTF members who are actually in situ and Living LOS says that in some parts the picture is not as bleak as it's painted by the media.
Actually, it is pretty bleak. I'm full time in Bangkok, but all my mates in Phuket say the situation is VERY bad in the beach areas, including Kata and Karon.
Phuket Town, on the other hand, was obviously not directly hit. That may be a better option for you.
How about checking to see what products are needed from abroad and bringing some with you? Every bit helps.
K
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 11:30 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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ColoradoGuy
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HJ, by 'unaffected', I mean that tourism services are 'as normal', something that will not be the case anywhere on Phuket. No one is trying to wreck your holiday. As I said, I do not think that you will enjoy going to Phuket in a few days for a holiday. You think you will. Great. Go. Have fun.
There is nothing more to say.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:37 am on Dec. 27, 2004
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