Khaolak, Thailand Before And After The 2004 Tsunami
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- Опубликовано: 22 мар 2022
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Video Description
My love affair with Thailand began many years ago, but the places I really enjoyed early on went downhill very quickly with the onset of mass tourism. I looked for somewhere else and in the early 2000's I found Khaolak. It really suited me and I went back several times. Even after I moved permanently to Thailand in 2003 I still visited Khaolak and I went again in September 2004.
A few months later I was in Singapore enjoying a family reunion over Christmas. On Boxing Day word started to come through that a big tsunami had occurred and that Thailand had been hit. One of the worst areas to be hit was Khaolak.
I returned to Thailand after my Christmas break and in May 2005 I returned to Khaolak for the first time after the tsunami. I wanted to see what had happened firsthand and I also wanted to check up on the Thais who I had befriended. It was quite shocking.
At the time of writing, my last visit to Khaolak was in April 2019. It is still a very pleasant place, but compared to my early visits it has changed. Whereas before there were lots of small businesses, many small business owners left and now there are lots of large hotels. The hotels are very comfortable, but a little impersonal and the character of Khaolak has changed.
This video is simply a slideshow of still photos recording my visits from around 2002 to 2019. Some photos are of the same places before and after the tsunami.
Thank you for showing us your experience. There are no words to express how awful this catastrophic event was.
Thanks for your comment. It was indeed a real tragedy. Before I moved to Thailand to live, Khaolak had become my favourite place for vacations and I had gotten to know some Thais there quite well. One of them died in the tsunami. As you say, 'no words'.
Thanks for sharing
Pleasure! Thanks for your comment.
Klll😊
God doesnt want us human being to be living so close to the ocean, rivers, etc... this is a sign ... I hope we understand we are just a tiny ones compared to the power of nature... so sorry for the lost
🙏
My heart still in 2023 Goes out to everybody and there families there! If i can ever pick a one way ticket somewere, its here. They will have to kill me to take me back because i lovebthe people, the country and the environment!! Love 4ever kenny ❤
Hello Kenny. Yes, a very sad day. They say it's a once in 400 year event. Hopefully, next time it happens, people will be more prepared.
I really hope if another one happens there will be no lost of life... 😢
It's strange how with so many of these disasters, you always seem to hear about how so & so building only just opened, only to be destroyed 😕
Somehow makrs me think of all the new hotels which seemed to be operating less then a year then 2020 happened...
There was a movie of this called The Impossible.
Penang suffered as well, but not quite as badly. I remember reading somewhere that this was a 1 in 400 year event. There's a lot of money to be made with beachfront hotels, so it seems it's a risk that some people are willing to take. The businesses that opened just before the tsunami were very unlucky. These things are completely unpredictable. I also heard that when the tsunami was coming a lot of people stood on the beach taking photos. If it happens again, maybe they will have the sense to run inland. I also read that no animals were killed. When animals sensed the danger they ran away, proving once more that the average animal is far more intelligent than the average person! It was a terrible event, but we should never forget the power of nature.
Great beaches, great loss of life because the tourists were there
As a result of Phuket becoming more and more overtouristed, tourists started going to Khaolak instead. I was one of them. Just as the area started to take off, this happened.
Lot of people massed graved there, I belive
Possibly up to 4,500 people killed. A tragic event.
and the McDonald's is now actually closed due to Covid-19, as much of the other businesses in Khao Lak are....
Really? Thanks for the update. Here in Hat Yai there are four McDonald's. One has been closed for a couple of years. Since the start of this month when they dropped the Thailand Pass more tourists are coming, but it's nothing like pre-Covid.
@@expatlivinginthailand I heard one local guy say, that the might open it for the next season sometime in September.
So you still like Khao Lak I understand, despite the big boys moving in?
I took the family there a few years ago. We stayed at a large hotel, which was very family friendly, and the wife and kids loved it. I also enjoyed it, but Khaolak is very different now compared to when I first went around 2001. There's a very wide road now, and lots of the small businesses have gone. It's changed but, in my opinion, it's still far preferable to places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui.
@@expatlivinginthailand Thank you for sharing your experience. Do you reckon it is also enjoyable for couples? Also, could you perhaps share fun excursions to embark on whilst there?
@@bernhardberkheij2661 Hello Bernhard. Compared to some other well-known Thai resorts, Khaolak is a lot quieter without all the raunchy nightlife. Whether you enjoy it, depends on the type of person you are. There's a beach and the big hotels have big pools, so it's a good place to relax. If you're the type of person who loves Pattaya, you probably won't enjoy Khaolak, and vice-versa. Horses for courses.
Regarding excursions, on my last trip there we went to Phang-nga Bay, where there are lots of limestone karsts jutting out of the sea and, of course, the famous James Bond island. There are also some sea-gypsy villages on the water. You can take a boat ride and it's really enjoyable. A little way inland from Khaolak there are some waterfalls, some hot springs, and an elephant camp. On one visit to Khaolak many years ago, I rented a car and drove up to Takua Pa. This is quite an important provincial town without many tourists, so it gives you a flavour of real Thailand, as opposed to tourist Thailand. Of course, Khaolak isn't far from Phuket. If you were so inclined, you could take an excursion there. I don't care for the beach resorts, but some parts of Phuket old town are attractive and interesting. The downside of Phuket is that it's overtouristed, meaning that there are constant traffic jams and everywhere is crowded.