Posted on 12/31/2004 11:22:32 AM PST by M 91 u2 K
PHUKET, Thailand - While volunteers struggled to collect bodies washing up on the once-pristine beaches of this upscale resort isle, ghoulish tourists rolled out their towels yesterday, doffed their bikini tops and vacationed like nothing had happened.
On Patong Beach and Kata Beach - where hundreds died or disappeared four days ago - the smell of suntan lotion wafted from the shore as a new influx of tourists determinedly ignored the carnage around them, frolicking in the surf or reading under umbrellas.
An indignant Russian who arrived at the Novotel Phuket Resort on the day after the tsunami loudly complained that there was no champagne reception.
Other guests have pestered the hotel's grieving staff with complaints that their rooms lack good views.
Belgian tourist Desmet Romain, 42, questioned whether he should have stayed on despite all the death and misery.
But the prospect of missing the New Year's beach holiday he had been looking forward to all year was too much to bear.
"I didn't want to go back to Belgium where it is so cold," Romain said. "And in this hotel, it's like everything is totally normal."
Some Thais are amazed that the foreigners can be so insensitive to be sipping cocktails poolside while surrounded by death and grief.
"I think the people are good, but I don't know why they stay here now when we are so sad," a waiter at the Novotel said, asking that his name not be reported out of fear of losing his job.
The beaches of Patong and Kata were filling up with tourists and Thais when the tsunami hit Sunday. Nearly 300 are confirmed dead, including more than 100 tourists.
Another 1,600 people are still missing from Phuket beaches, and there is an army of grieving family members searching for them.
As bodies continue to wash up on Phuket's shores and are stacked in makeshift morgues, the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket is erecting big tents, installing cotton candy machines and bringing in caged animals in preparation for the gala New Year's Eve circus party it promised.
"We do want to keep it a happy theme," Sheraton marketing communications manager Zahid Ali said. "Our guests came here during the holidays and they do want to enjoy it."
But in a nod to the tragedy surrounding them, the Sheraton canceled its $2,500 fireworks display and will observe a moment of silence, Ali said.
The hotel is also donating all the proceeds from its circus party to the disaster relief fund it set up for staff members who lost family and homes to the tidal wave.
The Thai survivors on Phuket are preparing to mark the new year in a much more somber manner.
"I will go to the temple to make merit for all the dead people," said Supone Sengsahus, 43, who drives a converted pickup truck as a taxi.
His friend, Moone Penmit, 35, who owns a restaurant, also was not in the mood for a party after a friend of his was killed in the disaster.
"Many people are not enjoying New Year's this time," he said.
If there any after shocks and another tsunami hits I would not be surprised if all these tourists go towards the beach in curiousity when the water recedes.
BTTT
Most Americans think too much of life to act like the Russians and Europeans, imo. It's impossible to imagine people acting like this when surrounded by so much death and destruction. The hotel staff must have the patience of Job.
And they call Americans...Nazis?
On the other hand, the more insensitive tourists, the more money to help rebuild the economy. Having the waiters busy will hopefull help take their minds off the horror of their loss. I hope the tourists are extra generous with their tips.
The class-act thing to do would be to blow off the 'fun vacation' plans and pitch in with the relief and rescue efforts.
I'm not sure what you point was.
I could not be civil to vacationing guests complaining because they didn't have good beach views when surrounded by so much death and destruction.
No, they just need their Jobs.
Certainly sir, if you could just wait a few minutes, I'm sure I could arrainge another 9.0 earthquake and 30 foot Tsunami, both of which would move the entire island another 100 feet to the Soutwest. Would that be acceptable?
I don't believe the author of this story....it's probably embellished to make for a different angle and the Russians are everyone's favorite target.
I personally wouldn't want to be there in any other capacity than relief worker... but if there are people willing to pay money for food, hotels and plane tickets in that environment, I have to see it as a net plus for the region.
If the Thais really didn't want tourism right now they could close their hotels and just say no.
Nor could I. I wouldn't blame any local folks who went off on the tourists. Either leave, or put down the gin & tonic and the suntan oil, walk into the debris field, get the vomiting over with, roll up your sleeves and help out.
While I might question staying in a disaster zone with a small child...I hail her vailiant efforts and trying to do something no matter how small the effort.
She had also mentioned, in a tone of (disgust and) disbelief, that there were many foreign tourists still flooding the beach as if nothing happened, just as the article described, while massive recovery and clean up efforts where still happening.
Only a couple of days ago, she did a clip illustrating the death (and aftermath of the bodies) that occurred on those beaches. It was hard to watch.
They'd tell the bell boy to move it. It was spoiling their view.
*shrug* I'd go. But I'd bring sturdy boots, lots of work gloves, lots of OFF!, Axes, prybars, and a water filtration kit or two.
F. Scott Fitzgerald said: "The rich are different."
If the story is true, He has said more than a mouthful all those years ago.
"The class-act thing to do would be to blow off the 'fun vacation' plans and pitch in with the relief and rescue efforts."
Absolutely right!
I was thinking the same thing.
I think the point was that if the tourists were to go away in respect for the Thais' grief, the hotel workers will lose their jobs. And being jobless will not make their grief easier to bear. As hard as it must be to be courteous to obnoxious, insensitive foreigners, it is necessary for tourist-industry workers to force themselves to be civil. For if they don't, the tourists will take their business elsewhere and the economy of Thailand will suffer even more grievous damage than it already has.
Cold-blooded lizards.
Respectfully I have to agree with Peach. I personally don't see how ANYONE could relax and sunbathe with all of the mess around them...and the smell of death must be horrendous! Anyone who's ever smelled a rotting corpse (not to mention hundreds!) will never forget it. Awful.
I've been looking for any article on the response of American tourists there. I hope they are helping the relief workers as best they can.
Remember all the elderly french who died of the heat while their family members splashed in the Med and then refused to rush home to claim their stinking corpses.
Question - Does a frenchman smell worse before or after death?
Europeans? Tip? They do not know the meaning of the word. Have you ever stayed anywhere with Europeans?
Gotcha.
Gotcha.
Absolutely agree. How have you been? Haven't seen you around much.
I'm with you.
The government probably insisted that the hotels remain open and welcoming to tourists. It IS money IN.
There is also an assumption that ONLY Europeans and Russians are there enjoying themselves. You can bet that the Chinese and Japanese are there too.
Also, much as some folks may hate to admit it, there are probably some Americans there too.
Finally, there is an assmuption that the evil, corrupt, heartless Russians and Europeans ARE NOT pitching in and helping to some extent. Some may actually BE touched and pitch in and help.
Some may actually have never seen such chaos; they may actually go home...or help.
It's a thing that's done here on fr often: bash the Europeans and Russians with impunity. I'm surprised that the author didn't find a Frenchman or German to quote. CNN found a German to say the wrong thing. But then, hating Germans is also a fun thing for many freepers and Americans to do.
This certainly is a biased story, isn't it?
The lying of journalists doesn't surprise me anymore.
I'm sorry sir, the Helicopter from the US will be delivering your water shortly........UGH!!
I think you're reading too much into it.
OMG.....I'm speechless. How cold does your heart have to be to vacation, party and sun surrounded by the bodies of the newly dead. They put Hannible Lector to shame.
Sun bathing in a graveyard.
Yes, the story is biased. And it is easy to target one group or another.
But human nature must be taken into account, too. Not every tourist would be up to helping in the relief efforts. We can't say if the American tourists behave any better than another tourist. And I imagine that tourists from all walks of life have helped during this crisis.
I guess the tourists arrived, looked around, and said "Phuket."
I think that you are referring to Jennifer Griffin, and she is doing a fantastic job over in Thailand. I saw her getting very emotional in one of her reports, but one that I saw earlier in the day surprised me a bit. In one report that I saw, Jennifer was saying that, even though those still coming to the beaches might have looked strange to some, it was actually helping the economy of the finanically devastated area. At first I thought that I must have misunderstood her, but it is clearly what she said. I know that you have just said that she acted completely the opposite in a later report, but I'm just telling what I witnessed on one report this morning. I guess she's just trying to report the flip side, if there can be one at this point.
I can't imagine what it must be like for Ms. Griffin to have to see all of that destruction. You can clearly see that it has affected her, and it is really refreshing to see that she's not afraid to show her frailty and her humanity when it comes to things of this nature. God Bless her.
Your right. Being unemployed would only exacerbate the problem. At least there are some hotels and resorts still standing for the locals to work at. Just imagine not only living thru a tragedy like this, but no longer having a job as well! I worked in the tourism industry many years ago; insensitive tourists are eveywhere.
I would think that the relief workers would fill those rooms and people could still keep their jobs without having to wait on spoiled, heartless rich people.
As a European I am highly offended by these morons. Another good reason for me to stay in the USA.
"Hey cabana boy! Get this body off the beach! It stinks! And wash your hands before you bring my Bloody Mary. Don't just stand there gaping. The smell is putting me off my brunch!"
some of these Euros are unreal, sort of like the attitudes you saw in France when they went on vacation and left their elderly parent's home without AC. and indeed, there may well be some americans there too.
what gets me, is how the left and the media pushes the "US is bad", "Europe is good" mantra when it comes to a whole list of international issues - and then you hear stories like this.
Chances are, they've ALREADY tuned out the stench of death around them as "just another bad smellwe routinely ignore. . ."
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