Thais Fear Krabi and Southern Beaches Now

Here is a story you may have already read in the Seattle Times, but it is interesting to read about the true fear many Thais now have of visiting the area down south. Many news reports have talked about the financial need that exists (although Thailand has denied any international financial aid, but appreciates the offer). Yet, this article talks about another serious issue: Thais are very spiritual people, and without having proper burials for the dead, they may never go back to these areas again.

They're haunted by the lost on Thailand's coast of death
Full story:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002138150_krabi02m.html
By Jeff Hodson - Special to The Seattle Times KRABI, Thailand

The victims of last week's tsunami are buried in debris, stuck in trees and floating in the sea. Collecting and identifyingthe remains have been enough of a challenge, but many Thais face an equallyserious task: appeasing the spirits of the dead.The vast majority of Thais believe in ghosts, and so the stories arestarting to emerge of dead tourists playing on the beach or of lost lovedones visiting surviving family members."There are a lot of ghosts on Phi Phi Island right now," said VinapornDanghon, a 23-year-old clothes seller who narrowly escaped last Sunday'sraging waters. More than 4,800 bodies have been recovered in Thailand so far, but thousandsmore still are missing off of the southern coasts. Many of Thailand's dead were from Phi Phi Island (pronounced Pee Pee), one of Thailand's most beautiful beach resorts, with dramatic limestone cliffs, sparkling watersand stunning coral reefs.Vinaporn lost her aunt and several friends. "I cannot count. There are so many," she said Friday outside the provincial police station where she hadcome to file a claim for lost property.When the tsunami crashed into her seaside village, Vinaporn and her boyfriend, a handyman, fled to higher ground. During the night, they heard a small group of people on the beach "screaming as if they were scared of thewaves," she said with vacant eyes. A policeman who was guarding the stranded villagers ran down to check thenoise. According to Vinaporn, he saw several human figures "with no feet"floating across the beach. "The policeman rushed back and told us what he saw," she said.

Many others in this traumatized nation have heard similar stories.Samarn Damkul, the driver of a long-tail boat for tourists, insisted Phi PhiIsland was full of spirits. "There are ghosts, there are ghosts, there areghosts," he said from one of Krabi's central piers.Samarn told of a fellow speed-boat driver who lost his friend, a woman, tothe 35-foot-high waves. His friend spent several days looking for her bodybut could not find it. On Thursday night, Samarn said, the woman's ghostpaid a visit to the boat driver."He said he wasn't dreaming," Samarn said. "She said to him, 'Don't searchfor me anymore. I'm here at the Chinese temple [where corpses are being collected]. Please take care of my son.' "The friend went to the temple the next morning and found the body, which hereturned to an island north of Phi Phi for a funeral.

Mat Thai-aium, whose boat was destroyed, stands amid boats under repair. Samarn and other boat drivers say the residents of Krabi province are easilyspooked and fear a return of the killer waves. "People around here areparanoid," said Samarn's brother, Chain Damkul. "They hear a motorcycle engine start, and they start to run."A leading Thai-language newspaper ran a front-page headline on Thursday thatroughly translates to "Creepy Phi Phi, Scary International Ghosts." Thepaper reported that marine police were too scared to spend the night. A 45-year-old woman who came to search for her missing family saw "foreignerghosts" playing in the water.The reported sightings are sure to feed local superstitions and may keep many Thai tourists from returning to the famous beach resort; which could be devastating to the economy.

Tourism generates more income in Thailand than revenue from the number-one export item, computers and accessories. And Krabi province, known for its many islands and limestone formations, depends heavily on tourism, as well as fishing,rubber trees and palm oil."I don't want to go back to Phi Phi Island anymore," said Thitinun Aussavamahasakda, owner of Eighty Nine Cafe, a restaurant and travel shop indowntown Krabi, the closest mainland port. "I'm scared. It's like a graveyard."Thitinun has been comforting dazed tourists and Thai friends, urging them topray at the local Chinese temple. "We're all sad and in grief," she said."It's incomprehensible."

Like many Thais, Thitinun believes that when a person dies unexpectedly, the soul is not prepared to move on to the next place. A special "merit-making"ceremony must be held where friends and relatives of the victim donate foodand money to local Buddhist monks, who hold a ceremony to help the spirit onits way to its next reincarnation. "I believe quite strongly in ghosts," Thitinun said.Buddhism and animism have coexisted for centuries in Thailand, with beliefsystems blurring over time. Most Thais, more than 90 percent of whom are Buddhist, have "spirit houses" to honor the dead people who used to live ontheir property. The spirit house is a miniature structure, like a doll house, usually madeof wood or concrete and kept in the corner of the property. Homeowners typically place incense, water or tea, and a plate of fresh food in thespirit house every morning while saying a brief prayer.Similar "merit" will be needed to get the ghosts from the deadly tsunami ontheir way. The ghosts of foreigners need particular help, Thitinun explained, because they do not know how to return to their native countries.Some wander around as if they were still alive.

She said a group of Krabi-area travel agents had chartered a boat on NewYear's Day for more than 400 people to visit Phi Phi Island to make meritfor the dead. They did not plan to spend the night.Many of the bodies are impossible to identify. Hard-pressed forensic teams are relying on clothing and personal effects. After several days of searching for her 20-month-old son, Wannasee Changnam finally found him at the morgue.The body was not recognizable but the clothing was unmistakable. He was still clad in the blue cartoon-covered shirt and green pants he was wearing when he was swept from her side last Sunday by a massive wall of water.He had been only 6 feet away when the water started rising. Wannasee thought nothing of it at first. After all, the water always comes up when there is a full moon, she thought. She continued to open her small souvenir shop on PhiPhi Island, once a piece of paradise in the turquoise waters of the AndamanSea. But in seconds the water was up to her neck and her child was gone. As the water filled her tiny shack, she broke through the roof and clung to acoconut tree. "I thought I was going to drown," she recalled , her right arm still badly scraped. Wannasee Changnam, right, 27, and Nayana Burin, 23, each of whom lost young sons on Phi Phi Island, prepare to identify remains.When the water receded, she and her husband scoured the island in search oftheir son, Abdul Prapin, a search that ended at the morgue.But when Wannasee told police she wanted to collect the body, they told hershe could not take it. Somebody else had already claimed it."If the other lady wants to fight for the body," Wannasee said, "we willhave to do a DNA test."Wannasee's case illustrates the difficulties of retrieving and identifyingthe victims. Many were swept out to sea or buried by rubble and debris, andtheir bodies have yet to be found. The bodies that have been recovered arenow nearly impossible to recognize. The only way to identify them is by clothing, personal effects or DNA samples.

Hundreds of photos of unclaimed bodies are posted on bulletin boards outsidethe morgue; forensic photographers have highlighted the brand names and distinguishing patterns of the clothes, the watches and rings. Foreign and local experts are helping the Thai government's woefully understaffed forensic team. Bleary-eyed, they are working around the clock.Inmates at several Thai prisons are making coffins, especially large ones to accommodate the bodies of foreigners.Thais are quick to answer calls to help victims. Some give money; others volunteer to cook, collect clothing.

While much attention has been spent on collecting the dead, the rest of thecounty has been urged to help the thousands of Thais who are homeless or have lost all of their possessions.In a nationwide speech on Friday, Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej asked all Thais to preserve their good hearts. "We're ready to help those in trouble, with dedication, mercy and sincerity, no matter whether they are Thais or foreigners," he said. The monarch, whose grandson was killed at a southern beach resort, had already donated $750,000 of his personal money.Even before his speech, Thais were opening their wallets: They have donatednearly $5.3 million.Long lines of caravans headed south to deliver goods can be seen on the highway that winds through Krabi's landscape of squat, crooked mountains. At the provincial government offices, dozens of volunteers prepared meals for rescue crews and villagers stranded on Phi Phi Island. They stirred uplarge batches of green-bean curry and chicken nuggets. Others collected clothes and donations of supplies and money."The Thai people are very generous," said Supot Nakonpo, a member of the provincial administrative organization. "We have enough donations.""We don't know what to do."

Many fishermen lost their vessels and thus their livelihood. While the money poured in, survivors began to count their losses. At the provincial police station, more than 500 people showed up to file claims andask for compensation.Many of the victims were fishermen or small-boat owners whose vessels wereshattered by the violent waves.Mat Thai-aium, who has taken tourists across Krabi's waters for 16 years,lost his $3,000 boat as he was about to depart from Ao Nang beach, athriving tourist spot northwest of Krabi town.Waves the height of street lamps came out of nowhere, and he told his gueststo run for it. Everybody survived, but his boat was turned to splinters.Now he has no job and no money. His friends are in the same predicament.Yesterday, they leaned over a broken boat that smelled of tar and thoughtabout the future."We don't know what to do," Mat said. "We're still in shock."

Jeff Hodson, who grew up in Seattle, is a former reporter for The SeattleTimes and former deputy editor at The Cambodia Daily. He now teachesjournalism in Asia. He and his wife, Tanyalux Hodson, who assisted intranslations for this article, are based in her native town of Chiang Mai,Thailand.