More than two weeks after the tsunami hit this area, I am still roaming around and trying to help with the relief effort as much as possible. Initially I was busy at Krabi Hospital, which was one of the hospitals first in line to receive the injured. After the flow of injured tapered down and the hospital didn't need the volunteers anymore, I ventured out to most of the affected beaches in Thailand to see what could be done with the relief effort. I remember the first few days, when total chaos reigned and bodies still littered the beaches. Then the Thai military slowly moved in, followed by a trickle of relief teams, mostly foreign military teams. That trickle turned into a flood within a couple of days and relief centers became innundated with all kinds of donated supplies, to the point that a lot of it was airlifted to nearby Indonesia. I was really amazed how many teams from so many countries provided all kinds of help on the scene here, ranging from Singaporean air traffic controllers to German search and rescue teams to Japanese, European, and American volunteer doctors.

Yesterday I did my last round of distributing money to the various villages and temples and found a very different scene from the previous week. The number of bodies found is steadily declining, although no doubt there are many more still buried in mud and debris, but enough have been removed that heavy machinery can move in to clean up. All major roads have been bulldozed free of debris and hosed down. In fact bulldozers and excavators have really been out in force and the results can already be seen, as many innundated areas have been razed clean and debris either buried or removed. Most vegetation died under the onslaught of seawater so the land looks empty and sterile, especially now in the dry season. But after some rains a few days ago, I can see little buds sprouting here and there. I imagine that when the rains start in april, things will green up a lot. But most promising of all, were the little shops and restaurants on the fringes of the devastated areas that more or less survived the waves. Many of them had already opened with makeshift store fronts that faced the bulldozers and the now open plain down to the beach. Despite the fact that virtually all tourists, who used to clog this area, have left, this was the most positive sign I have seen so far. Fishermen have it harder, as their boats have been destroyed and many buyers shun their catch for fear that the marine life has been feeding on corpses that were swept out to sea. The government and relief agencies have called these fears ludicrous and unfounded, but the locals are staying away from fish for now. Although I can't tell for sure, it seems that Thailand will recover from this disaster quicker than other affected countries. Besides the huge international effort, the country has been blessed by a sound infrastructure, that has made up for the lack disaster planning. The disaster areas of Indonesia, for example, have been totally cut off from land based help.

The sea looks calm again, with gentle waves lapping at downed palm trees on the beaches. The water is warm and so clear that it seems as nothing ever happened. But the beaches, although increasingly cleared of debris, are completely empty of the throngs of tourists. If there is one other message I can give all of you from the Thai people, other than their gratefulness for all the donations, it is their plea for the tourists to return. Overall the infrastructure and most hotels and resorts remained intact, but they are dreadfully empty and employees are being sent home for good in the middle of this high season. Like it or not, but tourism is the real lifeblood of southern Thailand and the absence of tourists will probably do more financial harm than the tsunami itself has. So for all of you who ever considered coming to Thailand, do not hesitate to come soon. Really! There is nothing that the average Thai would want more from foreigners than for them to continue visiting.

I have seen a few cases of media bias with my own eyes around here. For example, at a victims' camp, a group of cameramen getting ready to interview a relief worker, ushered him to a spot with the most destroyed background, whereas the vast majority of that particular area went completely unharmed and the locals were even setting up little roadside restaurants nearby. They then proceeded to spray some water on the interviewees face, I assume for extra dramatic effect. Then there is the fact that the majority of the Thai coastline did NOT get innundated at all. Yes, there were many wrecked areas, but of the hundreds and hundreds, maybe a thousand miles of coast facing the Indian Ocean, I only saw about 40 to 50 miles affected and most of those not in a major way. Yes, there were three areas that have been completely destroyed: Khao Lak, Phi Phi Island, and the Ban Nam Khem fishing village along with smaller neighboring villages. The majority of deaths came from these main areas and a small fraction from elsewhere (for example Ao Nang near Krabi, where I was on that day). Phuket got hit, too, but Phuket town got away completely and most of the resorts got away with no damage, as well. What's killing Phuket now are the lack of tourists. I don't mean to downplay the devastation and deaths at all, but one should look at the entire perspective and I think the media is not providing that at all. Of course, I can't speak for Indonesia and the other countries, because I haven't been there to see it myself.

At the Ban Nam Khem victims' camp a horde of kids assembled in front of a mobile truck stage and a live band provided entertainment and elicited loud bursts of laughter from the audience. Despite those light moments, these people are quietly suffering from their losses, but do their best to invite a little positivity into their lives as well. I wish the media would cover a little of that, too. Or maybe I am just looking at the wrong TV stations and newspapers. Many friends overseas have been asking me about the health and food situation and to that I must add that everything is supplied in massive amounts. There is more bottled water than I have ever seen in my life. At the camps, the military has set up large reverse osmosis water purifying stations. Foodstands litter all areas, government sponsored ones and private ones from the locals taking the initiative. In addition, telephone companies have set up free worldwide calling phones and internet access at all the camps and in all the hospitals and temples. I would call it anything but isolation. Furthermore, I have seen disinfection teams doing their work around standing water to prevent disease outbreaks, and so far I have heard of no case of sanitation related diseases.

If one does get tired of seeing destruction, then all that is necessary is to simply walk inland a mile or so and life looks about as normal as anyone could imagine. Rubber trees and coconut palms sway in the wind, cows and dogs roam the streets peacefully, cars continue driving at breakneck speeds, and the people run their roadside businesses as normal and life continues at its unhindered pace. I really felt the need to add a positive perspective because it really is starting to appear among all people here. The Thai people seem to be the kind who grieve quietly and personally and I don't want to detract from that, but in public they try their hardest to carry on with a smile and the hope that things will get better. In the end I hope that all the other affected countries will end up with some of Thailand's blessings. It could help them cope tremendously with this natural disaster of epic proportions in the long run.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you who have donated so generously to the various relief organizations or to me to distribute personally. The impact here in Thailand has already been immediate and profound and there is a sense of gratefulness rather than asking for more. And God knows these people deserve more than what we can give them, but we have really pulled together so far. I just hope it lasts in the long run.

Solomon