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Traveling to Southern Thailand for Tourism or Volunteer Work

 

Many of us are passionate about Thailand and Thai culture, and are searching for ways to help out with the reconstruction effort. Marcie and I just returned from Phang-nga province, Thailand, having traveled to the area hit by the tsunami for our Valentine’s Day project. I have a few suggestions which I’d like to share with you if you are considering traveling to the tsunami-affected region in the coming months for tourism or volunteering:

  • Most importantly... GO! Don't be reluctant to travel to Southern Thailand either for tourism or volunteer work. The tsunami came at the worst possible time for the region. It hit during the peak of the high season, and the destruction has meant not only millions of dollars of damage, but also lost revenue from the lack of vacationers this year. Hotel rates in Phuket and the surrounding areas are at an all-time low to attract tourism to the area to help with the economy. Many hotels are unscathed, and many others were only partially damaged. Most have either closed for renovation or have already rebuilt. Check out the following websites for up-to-the-minute progress reports and last-minute hotel deals: www.wotif.com, www.wired-destinations.com.

  • Support the local economy. The most important help you can give is to assist the economic recovery of the affected areas. If you are going to be traveling to this region as part of a tsunami relief project or for tourism, stay in a guesthouse right in the affected areas, to eat food in the area, and buy supplies to help to support the recovery of the local economy. Flights in and out of Phuket are easy, and Phang-Nga is only a 1 hour drive from the airport.

  • Plan ahead, but be open and flexible. If traveling to Phuket or Phang-nga for tourism, you should book your hotels in advance. If you wish to volunteer, you will want to research inexpensive guesthouses in Phang-nga, many of which may not have websites. You may wish to arrange short-term accommodations in an area hotel, and then change to a less expensive place once you arrive and figure out where you will go. For serious volunteering, consider staying at the Mirror Foundation's volunteer center (www.tsunamivolunteer.net). At the center, accommodations are inexpensive and all meals are provided ($5 per day all-inclusive). However, the Mirror Foundation requires volunteers stay at least 1 month.

  • Find out how you can best help. The Mirror Foundation is coordinating most projects in the worst area, and I encourage you to contact them when you arrive for the latest information. Don't be disappointed if you do not get a reply by email. They are deluged by emails, and have had unreliable internet service. If you have skills, such as carpentry, web design, weaving, teaching, Thai language, etc., or if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, just show up... you will be welcomed.

  • Stay as long as you can. Plan on extending your stay as long as possible. Only through a long-term commitment will you really help the region, and only through a long stay will you make personal connections with the people.

  • Leave your camera at home. We received feedback from local Thais that they have felt exploited as of late by camera crews traveling to this area to capture them on film. They have been subjected to mini-buses full of camera-wielding tour groups, amateur documentary filmmakers, and so forth, riding through town shooting their devastated villages, and then driving on to other locations. If you are planning to film, establish local contacts with Thai people (not Western volunteers) to chaperone your excursions, and ask for permission for all shots you are taking.

  • Don’t bring pity either. The Thais are a proud people, and they are not dwelling on the tragedy, and they certainly don’t want to be objectified as targets for Western sympathy. Even at the refugee camps we visited, people were not interested in donations of used clothing and other items. They made it clear that they do not want charity. They want, and need, to move on. Part of moving on is for tourists to come back to the area, and part of it is to help with concrete reconstruction projects to help to rebuild the infrastructure in the area. Don't come to gawk or rubber-neck. Come to help by spending your money and sharing your smiles!