Yanui Beach

My final aspect in this case study will be the small beach in between Phromthep Cape and Naiharn Beach;Yanui Beach.The little beach is very different from most beaches and is well known for its quietness and how undeveloped it is.The beach is easily missed and mostly known by locals and foreigners who have been living in Phuket for awhile.No big hotels or shops occupy Yanui's sands but only one small restaurant with a few shacks which serve as groovy bars.The beach has stayed undeveloped for a while now and probably won't be changing.Though after the tsunami this all changed.

Sadly Yanui was hit hard by the huge tsunami causing destruction to every man-made object on the beach since it came in 2km inland also becoming one of the worst affected beaches on the island.At the far north end of the beach you can find several memorial plaques dedicated to loved ones who had sorrowfully died in the 2004 tsunami.In addition the one restaurant and shacks on the beach was totally wiped out and reparations weren't made for over a year and a half,the owner,an expat woman was sadly one of the many victims of the disaster.Though the beach is now up and blooming again with new restaurants and bars though there still isn't much.A tsunami survivor explained that the day after the tsunami he went to visit the beach and there was nothing left meaning no more hotels,restaurants,bungalows,nothing!

Though the beaches restaurants and bungalow rentals are up and running again,the small,peaceful beach will never be able to forget the damage done in 2004.Also there is still much to do to repair the beach as it is in lack of money meaning it cannot grow.Below you can see the damage to the beach and also the memorial wall.Furthermore it can be said that the beach was growing rapidly before the tsunami but when the huge wave arrived it didn't stand a chance but to repair slowly.

Tsunami Summary

—Tsunami Summary

The tsunami was caused by an earthquake in Indonesia that had a magnitude of 9.2,which is the fourth strongest recorded earthquake.The damage was felt in 14 different countries though Phuket was definitely one of the worst.The tsunami struck early in the morning on the 26th of December also known as Boxing Day.

The after math of the natural disaster with the thai government reporting 4,812 confirmed deaths ,8,457 injuries 4,499 missing after the country was hit by the tsunami.The thai authorities believe that at least 8,150 of the missing people were likely to have died.

The tsunami shocked many locals as they weren't prepared for such damage and loss.They didn't have any warning signals installed as they realise that a tsunami would be a problem for the small island.Though they were wrong as on boxing day morning it arrived and completely wiped out entire beaches coming 2km inland in many places.Since the tsunami warning signals have been put all around the island including evacuation routes.

Many survivors describe the situation as life and death,they also describe that everyone was helping everyone.They knew that they may have lost a close friend or a relate but they could save a loved one of someone else.

Even though the poor island has had to go through tough times from loss to reparations,they have managed to make the island strong and repaired over the years.After the tsunami tourists income decreased dramatically because of the fear of another tsunami,because of this Phuket's economy dropped making the few years after the tsunami very hard.Though nothing can stop the island from blooming once again which now has an economy that is stronger than ever.

Below you can see a list of hotels that were affected by the tsunami or if they weren't affected by it.

Table found: http://www.hotelthailand.com/tsunamihotel.html

Absolute Seapearl	Closed until further notice
Allamanda Laguna Phuket	Operating normally
Amanpuri	Still operation, flooding destroyed the gym.
Amari Coral Beach	Has been hit and sustained damage, hotel will be closed for renovation until 01 August
Andaman Beach Suites	NOT affected
Andaman Cannacia Phuket	OK
Andaman Seaview	Operating normally
Andaman White Beach	Operating normally, not seriously damaged, just resort’s dive centre.
Aquamarine Resort & Villa	NOT affected
Baan Mai	Closed until further notice
Baan Thai Beach Resort	Closed until further notice
Ban Yin Dee	Operating normally
Banyan Tree	Operating normally
Boat Lagoon	Operating normally
Burasari	Damaged, will accept bookings from 10 January onwards (but: we recommend to make bookings from 20 January onwards, to be on the safe side)
Cape Panwa	NOT affected. Operating normally.
Central Karon Village	Operating normally
Central Waterfront Suites	Operating normally
Chedi	Open, damaged. Beachfront cottages, Deluxe Category Cottages and the Beach Restaurant are badly damaged and will be repaired in low season (from May onwards). All other rooms and facilities were not affected and are fully operational.
Club Andaman Beach Resort	Damaged, still operational, all cottages need to be repaired, only 1 pool useable, the 2nd pool should be okay until mid January, garden will take some time to recover, beachfront restaurant closed until further notice. All other rooms and facilities are fully operational.
Coconut Village	Operating normally
Comfort Resort Patong	Closed until further notice
Coral Island Resort	Operating normally
Crown Nai Yang Suite	Not seriously damaged, not back in full operation yet
Deevana Patong	Operating normally
Diamond Cottage Resort & Spa	OK
Duangjitt Resort	Has been affected but still operates in Building 1, 2 and Bungalows (in total 137 rooms), the resort is operational and is pleased to serve guests.
Dusit Laguna	Open, in general operational, but pool and 1 restaurant are damaged, repairs at 24 oceanfront ground floor rooms, 2 restaurants, activities center and kids club will take about 3-4 months, fully operational.
Evason Phuket	The pier was completely restored and fully operational.
Felix Karon	Operating normally
Front Village	Operating normally (update REAL picture)
Hilton Phuket Arcadia	Minor water damage, operating normally.
Holiday Inn Resort Phuket	Closed. Cannot accommodate any guest until 30th April 2005
Horizon Beach Resort	Closed until Jan 19’2005
Icon Hotel Phuket	OK
Impiana	Not re-open until October 05, severe damages
Jiva Resort Phuket	Just minor damages that will be repaired these days, in general OK
JW Marriott	Minor damage. Main pool will be back in service by mid January. The Beach Front Seafood restaurant and a few groundfloor rooms that were affected will re-open within 2 months. All other rooms and facilities were not affected, fully operational. The resort is operating under full power and is equipped with fresh water. F&B facilities are open and available to all guests. The JW Marriott Phuket were extremely helpful giving assistance to tourists in transit to the airport and to Help centers. Thank you!
Kamala Bay Garden	Operating normally
Kamala Bay Terrace	Closed until further notice, unable to operate, lobby and restaurants are damaged
Kamala Beach Hotel & Resort	Will be operational again on 1st of March 2005
Karona Resort & Spa	OK
Karon Bay View	OK
Karon Beach Resort	Closed for 2 1/2 months for repairs, opening February/March 2005, severe damage to 24 ground floor rooms
Karon Princess Hotel	OK
Karon Sea Sands Resort	NOT affected
Karon View Resort	OK
Karon Whale Resort Phuket	OK
Kata Beach Resort	Swimming pool is temporarily closed for renovation. Nothing else has been damaged, fully operational with all services and facilities, minimal damage to 8 floor rooms.
Katathani Bhuri	Operating normally
Katathani Thani	Some of the ground floor rooms are currently still under repair and will be re-opened within this month. All other rooms and facilities are fully operational.
Laguna Beach Resort	Minor damage. 14 ground floor Deluxe seaview rooms were damaged and need to be repaired, all other rooms and facilities were not affected and fully operational.
Laguna Phuket	Operating normally
Layan Beach Resort Phuket	Rooms close to the beach are badly damaged
Leelawadee Phuket	Some damages in the lobby, other floors are OK
Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort	No water or power supply. Temporarily closed until further notice
Le Meridien Phuket Yacht Club	Operating normally except their “Le Promenade” restaurant
Mangosteen Phuket	OK
Marina Phuket	Fully operationally. “On the Rock” restaurant was completely restored
Merlin Beach Resort	closed until further notice
Mon Tri’s Boat House	Mom Tri's Boathouse suffered damage on the ground floor and there were no casualties among either guests or staffs. Mom Tri's Boathouse being on renovation and will not honor any reservation on the time. The reopening of Mom Tri's Boathouse that might not be before 1st February 2005 and I will be announce later. All the booking which have had booked at Mom Tri's Boathouse we will transfer and upgrade room to accommodate at Mom Tri's Villa Royale.
Montana Grand	Operating normally
Nai Yang Beach Resort	Closed until further notice
Novotel Coralia	Operating normally
Orchidacea	Operating normally (located on higher groundl)
Panwa Beach Resort	Operating normally
Paradise Koh Yao	Not affected at all, NO damages
Patong Beach Hotel	Damaged. Reopening not scheduled before February 2005.
Patong Lodge Hotel	Operating normally
Patong Merlin	Closed until further notice, severly damaged, no re-opening date has been set, but expect at least 2-3 months to finish repair works.
Patong Premier Resort	Operating normally
Patong Resort	Major damage, closed until 31 Mar ‘05
Peach Hill Hotel & Resort	Operating normally
Pearl Village	Operating normally. The entire hotel area, including the swimming pool, etc. have been completely cleaned up. The facilities on Nai Yang Beach have been restored as well and guest can enjoy swimming again.
Phuket Grand Tropicana	Lobby and coffee shop damanged. Fully operational will be from January 11, 2005 onwards.
Phuket Golden Sand Inn	50 bungalows damaged, electricity supply problems
Phuket Island View	20 bungalows without aircon, pool is closed, otherwise runs normally
Phuket Merlin	Not accepting any additional bookings.
Phuket Orchid	Operating normally
Residence Kalim Bay	Some water damages, but is open
Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club	In general OK, just some damages in lower areas
Royal Paradise	Operating normally, but some damage to the road in front of hotel.
Rydges Amora Beach Resort	Operating normally
Sabana	Closed, due to general clean up, re-open on 14/01/05
Seapearl	Closed until further notice
Seaview Patong	Closed for at least 7 month
Serene Resort Phuket	NOT affected, organize free snack-corner for in-house guests and outsiders
Sheraton Grande Laguna	Open, only minor damage. 6 Ground Floor Ocean rooms and beach restaurant need to be repaired. All other rooms and facilities are fully operational.
Southsea Karon Beach	Operating normally
Surin Beach Resort	Operating normally
Thara Patong	OK
Thavorn Beach Village & Spa	Bungalows are all damaged & two restaurants, Marisa & Old Siam, destroyed. Serving 3 meals at Lobby Village Club & guests are staying in the Ocean View Villas. Bookings not recommend at this time.
The Bay Resort	Operating normally
The Racha	Beach area, swimming pool, main restaurant, spa and villa were damaged. Closed until further notice.
The Village Resort & Spa	Operating normally
Trisara	Minor damage to beach pool & a few beachside sundeck lounges. Otherwise operating normally.
Tropical Garden Resort Phuket	NOT affected, organize free snack-corner for in-house guests and outsiders
Twinpalms	Operating normally (no damage, no fatalities)
Woraburi Phuket Resort & Spa	Operating normally

Coral Reefs in Phuket

When the tsunami hit,it caused a"one-two punch."Firstly the tsunami wave rose while entering the shallow waters where the reefs grow and smashed into the corals,breaking and shattering them.Then when the wave hit it caused tremendous damage to the coral reefs that will take decades for them to recover.In addition when the waves tide came back into the ocean carrying wood,chemicals and so on once again the corals.Though only 8% of the reefs were affected,they still contained some of the most diverse organisms in the world,that won't be recovered for ages.As you can see in the picture below the coral has been completely ripped out of the ground and is all dull.

Thailand's reefs are a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people who catch fish or any other edible sea creature or work in the diving tourism industry.This caused a massive impact as jobs couldn't be done since fish fled to other parts of the ocean and divers couldn't explore any coral since there was no coral to see.

The coral reefs were assessed as either in good or very good condition has decreased from 34 percent in the early 1990's to 16 per cent just before the tsunami.The corals were already in bad condition since tourism had led to coral bleaching and more,meaning they were very soft and could easily break.Therefore when the tsunami hit the coral reefs broke easily since they were so fragile.Although they were fragile they naturally still acted like a barrier blunting the tsunami and its force.The tsunami also caused an immense decrease in tourists as they were scared about the natural disaster that had just killed thousands of innocent people, in addition Phuket is mostly visited because of its beautiful beaches and amazing coral reefs but with a disgusting beach and broken coral the tourists didn't see a reason to come back.Luckily now the corals have slowly repaired and the beaches have become better which has brought tourists back.

Patong

Patong is known as the centre of Phuket’s nightlife and shopping.The beach,which is 3.5 kilometres long, became popular because of western tourists in the late 1980’s.

Sadly in 2004 on the 26th December Patong Beach was affected by the tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean Earthquake.The tsunami caused a massive destruction to the waterfront of the beach and inland,killing many people.It is known for being one of the worst affected areas in Phuket.Nowadays Patong is up and blooming with its shopping an nightlife.

Jamie Monk a blogger ,blogged about the effect on Patong,he took the picture above showing how the transport was affected,the power lines were down meaning electricity probably wasn't available.In addition the roads are all in disorder,meaning being able to get around wouldn't of been easy.In one of his blogs he explains his story about the tsunami.Although he didn't see the tsunami,he did live through it and its after effects.Like many other Phuket residents he didn't believe it was something to be very concerned about when he saw it on TV.Though as he went to work that day in Patong,he saw the immense damage the tsunami had done to people,homes,hotels and more.

A well known hotel in Patong called Seaview was tremendously affected by the tsunami as its located across from the beach.Mr.Rafael ,who is the manager of the hotel,went through lots of drama as he needed the hotel to be up and running again,as financial problems would rise soon.In the end it took a total of 7 months meaning it was open again in June 2005.In the picture below you can see the building crumbling,rubbish everywhere,a bus upside down and more.We can clearly see from the photo that the business and environment was vigorously affected.

In the photo below you can see a road along Patong Beach devastated by the tsunami.The photo was taken a day after the tsunami, as people head to the airport for safety.

The second photo is Patong today which is  now up and running again,with new roads and shops.

History of Phuket summarized

Phuket’s History Summary

Colonists from India founded Phuket Town in the 1st century B.C..

In the 3^rd century A.D a Greek geographer, Ptolemy, referred to it as “Jang Si Lang” which then became “Junk Ceylon”, this is the name you will see on ancient maps of Thailand or Siam.

The oldest inhabitants of Phuket are the sea gypsies who cam to Phuket about 500 years ago. They would settle in one bay until all the resources in the location are finished and then move onto another bay to give nature time to recover.

In 1785 Captain Light discovered the Burmese attack, the Burmese had been repelled a year earlier but came back with a larger army. He quickly warned Phuket’s authorities. Phuket’s governor had just passed away so the organization of the defense was in the hands of his widow, Kunying Chan. She and her sister Mook got all forces they could together and disguised local women as male soldiers, which made Phuket’s military seem unbeatable. After a month the Burmese surrendered and King Rama 1 awarded Kunying Chan with the royal title of “Thao Thep Kasattri”. A memorial was built on Thepkassatri road for locals to pay their respects to Mook and Kunying Chan.

Tin mining drew thousands of Chinese labourers, coming from Penang, Malaysia over 100 years ago, to the island, out to find a better life. They brought with them the Sino-Portuguese style; they built many beautiful houses in this style especially in Phuket Town.

Rubber plantations are another aspect that brought Phuket’s wealth. Phuket was introduced to rubber plantations at the start of the year; rubber plantations once covered 40% of Phuket. Many of the farmers still work their plantations like they did 50 years ago.

When tourism came to Thailand, Phuket was one of the first provinces to embrace the industry and soon became a hotspot around the world for its natural beauty and warm reception. The island receives millions of visitors each year and that number will continue to grow.

On the 26^th December 2004 Phuket was involved in one the worst natural disasters in history. It was triggered by an undersea earthquake which had an estimated magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3,it killed around 230,00 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The west coast of Phuket was very damaged by the tsunami, and most homes, hotels and other buildings on low grounds were badly damaged. Areas including Khao Lak were almost completely wiped out.