Tsunami Reverts Beaches to Natural State
Yahoo News ^ | Fri, Jan 07, 2005 | ALISA TANG


PATONG BEACH, Thailand - Many believe the tsunami that devastated this tourist hotspot and killed thousands had one positive side: By washing away rampant development, it returned the beaches to nature.


Greg Ferrando glistened with sweat and sea water as he went for a barefoot jog up the immaculate white sand beach, where the tsunami has wiped away almost all signs of humanity.


"This whole area was littered with commercialism," said the 43-year-old from Maui, Hawaii. "There were hundreds of beach chairs out here. I prefer the sand."


The beauty of Thai beaches is the stuff of folklore: pristine, clean and untouched. That was 10 or 20 years ago. More recently, they have been swamped by development.


"Everyone is talking about it. It looks much better now," he said. "This looks a lot more like Hawaii now, where vendors aren't allowed on the beach."


Phanomphon Thammachartniyom, president of the Phuket Professional Guide Association, said when tourists return to Thailand for their second or third visits, he has to recommend new beaches.


"They will complain, 'Why has this place changed so much? I don't like it anymore. I want it to be like it once was,'" Phanomphon said.


Phanomphon fears politicians and organized crime will steer development in the wrong direction and hopes care will be taken when the area is rebuilt. "Nature has returned nature to us. I want it to be this way forever," he said.


Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the tsunami swept away unplanned and possible illegal building, creating an opportunity to regulate growth.


"I have sent a team to collect information on damaged buildings, including hotels, resources and guest houses," he said. "We need the quick restoration of the tourist facilities there, but we also have to establish restrictions for building."


Some on Phi Phi Island agree.


"They were just building and building and building. It was too much. You couldn't even walk around," said Moriel Avital, a 24-year-old Israeli who lived on the island for four months.


"It was all gone in one wave - it's telling people not to mess with nature," she said. "Paradise should be paradise and should not become this civilized."


Surin Kaewjan, a 44-year-old fruit vendor on Patong Beach, is suffering financially because of the tsunami. But before the huge waves came, the beach was littered and the sand was black and dirty, she said.


"Honestly, I love this nature," she said. "Twenty years ago, it was like this, and full of trees. I haven't seen the beach this white in ages."

After such a terrible event, its clear from the comments, some are glad to have thier
Paradise back.
To live there, and see your home taken over by tourism must be hell.
Although the money it generates is welcome, but at what cost.
Sad all round realy.

i heard a "official" saying they new of the wave coming but kept it to themselves for fear of upsetting the tourists ,says it all

I don't think that such devastation and loss of life can have a positive side. It's disappointing to hear somebody suggest such a thing.

Chesters, the areas concerned were not included/subscribed to some kind of early warning system is the way that I heard it - So who knows?

they/him had a phone call ,they dont sign up for the early warning but earthquakes and their outcomes are watched worldwide ,the chap that was sacked years ago for suggesting they subscribe to the early warning system has now been hurredly reinstated ,perhaps to keep his mouth shut

I CANT BELIVE PEOPLE THINK THERE IS A POSITIVE SIDE TO SUCH A TRAGEDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Codroamer, nature can be a powerful thing at times and we are all part of it. All the post does is reflect an alternative point of view which comes from some of the very people who have just gone through this disaster.

Whilst I have every sympathy with all those people who have suffered or been lost as a result of the Tsunami I have to admit that my primary concern/interests lay with the ecological effects that it will have on the native shark population.

Hi Codroamer,

Nobody is in any doubt as to the grave loss of life, and misery that came with the Tsunami.
The comments seem to have been made by the local people on the islands.
If anyone, anywhere has the right to voice thier oppinions, in what ever context,its the people who live there , and have suffered, still suffer the effects.
I think we were agreeing with them, you can lie back in misery all your life, or like these people, try, and find some positives.
They are actualy talking about the return of the Islands natural beauty, not the sad loss of life.

Hi All,

Let's hit the bottom line, it was local people who built up these beachside areas, to me it is a disgrace that such a terrible occurrence has finally woke them up to their situation. Why did they not stand up and protest 20yrs ago, I very much dought that this massive loss of life will give a new begining for these beaches and if it does it can certainly not be claimed as a positive. 250000 lives for beach cleanup NO WAY