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andshandy
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I hope everything is getting back to normal
 P
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:44 pm on Jan. 9, 2005
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Hugh Jardon
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I have been in Phuket now since arriving on New Years Eve with my Thai girlfriend. Our hotel at Karon Beach was unaffected as was most of Karon Beach. As I write, it would be hard to know what had happened there. We went out to Dinner at the big resort hotel and saw the New Year in in style with one of the bottles of Champagne that I'd brought.
We have had a great time here on Phuket. The areas worst affected are naturally the Western coastal resorts, which we have visited. We hired a 4 wheel drive Jeep and took a look at everything. Bang Tao beach was bad, as was Kamala, although we went one night to Phantasea there, which looked totally normal, even though it must have been close to where the wave hit.
Surin beach looks entirely normal. Kata is normal inland from the beach, but the beach hotels suffered some damage. Karon, as stated is almost normal.
Patong suffered badly along the Beach Road, but is getting back to normal incredibly quickly. In most of Bangla Road and all of the town 200 metres inland, you'd never know that there had been this natural catastrophe. I shed a tear when I saw the damage to the Tropica Bungalow hotel where I had such fond memories 18 months ago. The lovely restaurant to the front is totally demolished and that lovely jungle foliage had withered and died because of the salt water. The bungalows are mostly intact, but it will take a year or two for it to begin looking as it was. This is typical of lots of the sea front hotels. Even if the superstructure is intact, it will take time for the greenery and gardens to return.
The progress in clearing up has been nothing short of amazing. The resilience of these people is incredible.
There are some plus points though. MacDonalds and KFC on the Beach Road are still closed and lots of the Tailoring shops are also shut, so one doesn't get hassled by those annoying touts every five yards.
I am truly glad that we came here. As I expected, our presence is deeply appreciated by the locals. The fact that there are tourists that stayed and who continue to arrive gives some semblance of hope and continuity to the local people. I have talked to many of them and they all seem really grateful that we are here. Because we hired the car, we have mostly avoided those areas that were badly hit and it must be said that probably 95% of the Island is normal. There are some indications inland of the disaster, when one passes the hospitals and sees the posters with photographs of the missing, or when one passes a plot of land that is being used as a tip for debris arriving by the lorry load from the Beach resorts.
Perhaps it seems trite to mention the impact on the BG scene in the light of this tragedy, but that is the whole point of this forum.
Dare I suggest that this is probably a good time to be here for the same reasons that it was good to be here when SARS was in Asia, or when the bird flu epidemic struck?
The BG scene in Patong, Karon, Kata etc is largely unaffected, or perhaps it's truer to say that simple bar structures were easy to repair and make operational again. Lots of girls went home fearing another Tsumani. This is not going to happen and they will return soon. Punters numbers are well down, so the ones that remain are probably having a great time.
I am here for another 5 nights, the girlfriend is back at work in Bangkok, so I will be a naughty boy. Last night I stayed up until 2.30am to observe what went down. BGs started streaming out as the bars and gogos closed and it was reminiscent of the scene in the Suk or Nana Car Park. Girls everywhere. I chose one and had a memorable night, went three rounds with her LT for 1000 baht. How lucky was I to pick one that loved BBBJ to completion, CIM? Other times, we finish the deed, she takes off the rubber and licks me dry. Amazing. Perhaps she learned from Saing at Barons.
So if anybody is planning on coming to Phuket, I'd say that you could still have a really great time here. Most of the Island, you'd be hard pressed to know the difference. This is still a lovely Island and please help the locals get on their feet with the money that you bring to their economy.
I'll post an update at the end of my stay here.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 1:01 am on Jan. 10, 2005
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andshandy
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Thanks
Its good to see things are as normal for the tourist
Long may it be
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:40 pm on Jan. 14, 2005
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AnthonyMustang
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Thank you for the report Andshandy. I'm heading off to Phuket in late Feb and have been overjoyed to see how the Thai's have been getting their lives back in some order.
Although this link has been posted before it's a good one for everyone who is still having doubts about going
http://www.phuket-photos.com/frameme.php?page=phuket-tidal-wave.htm
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 4:31 pm on Jan. 15, 2005
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Asianatic
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Due to a change of my actual plan because I had met a great lady in Bali, (planned to arrive on dec. 24 in Patong first) I arrived in Phuket late night on dec. 26 after my connection in Bangkok was delayed.
I observed the heavily damaged beachfront on dec. 27 and by that day the sois at Bangla road were also still damaged. I managed to fly back that night to Bangkok but returned to Patong on january 4 again.
I have a special affection with this place since I go there at least twice a year and always during Christmas holiday period as well.
It is amazing how quickly the Thai people did the clean up and re-organised their welcomed hospitality for the tourists. Of course since most of the tourists were gone back to other areas or back home, it was even more quite as in low season. Maybe that is an advantage for us punters. Beer bars were very quite with one exception Soi Crocodile the liveliest as ever. I had a look at Tiger Disco and found out that there was a bunch of party people again but not crowded as it should be. Tai Pan was the best hit with lots of gals around. Add the bonus that on january 5, I was the lucky winner of the prize money draw, a cheque worth 3000 bath to drink and enjoy, I spent every night here. Had great fun despite the situation.
On Beach road, resorts are still closed but few are re-opening. Safari Beach Hotel is open already. Normally, I stay each time at a groundfloor bungalow in Patong Villa (imagine how lucky I was to change my travelplan in Bali) but this time, I found a great resort on second road. Deevana Resort and Spa, cheaper then most of the beach front resorts, it is just a wonderful place to stay. I had no problem to bring an overnight companion. Actually, if you stay at one of the groundfloor deluxe rooms (I paid 2500 bath for a deluxe room including a private Jacuzzi ! and direct acces to the giant pool) you are able to get to your room without passing the reception, which is great if you bring a lady of course. Nobody noticed that you come with someone.
I took heaps of photo's of the disaster and are posted at my non-commercial personal website: http://www.globetrotters.be
I will definitely return to Patong on april 29.
See you then ?
Eddy
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 6:06 am on Jan. 16, 2005
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