In the Village of Salty Water:
Travails in Ban Nam Khem

On a special assignment related to North by North East's Voluntourism Initiative, I went to the tsunami affected areas of Thailand to see where help is most needed. I soon found myself in Ban Nam Khem, about 100 km north of Phuket. Ban Nam Khem, rendered into English means “Village of Salty Water”; with the tsunami, it's a sadly ironic name. As most of the area is flat and coastal, this became the most devastated area in Thailand. Most of the village's inhabitants either fished for a living, or worked in one of the nearby beach resorts near Khao Lak National Park. Before the tsunami, the population here was around 5000. After the disaster it sits at a mere 2500. Every family lost someone.

A Large Fishing Boat Nearly Landed on this House

A visitor to the village today would notice two things: large fishing boats flung preternaturally far inland and soldiers from the Royal Thai Army seem to outnumber the residents. The soldiers are hurriedly constructing small, concrete homes for the surviving villagers. How a family of 10 or 11 people should live in a 16 m² home, they will have to work out for themselves.

I decided to uncover what was really happening here, with regards to the tsunami relief, by talking with some of the locals. I stopped in at a coffee shop. Well, perhaps coffee shack is a more accurate term. A few salvaged tables, a hand-me-down umbrella from a defunct resort in Phuket and a corrugated tin roof completed the ambience. Watching the café, I noticed they mainly traded in “uppers” and “downers”; coffee and lao khao (strong rice alcohol) and sold primarily to the soldiers.

Soon, the shop owner approached me gingerly and asked, in Thai, what I wanted to drink. She was relieved I could speak Thai and, after bringing me my coffee, sat down too. Her name was Sao. She used to be a masseuse on the beach at the Tropicana Resort. On Boxing Day, she was fortunate not to have been at work. Her fellow masseuses and the resort itself didn't survive. She then introduced me to her lovely family; her husband and 4 children.

Café Owner Sao

As we were sitting there, an SUV with flashing light whizzed past us. I mentioned that it must have been the police. Sao responded indifferently, “No, that's not the police. Someone must have found another body.”

More relatives started to arrive. It seems everyone in this village is related somehow, which makes the gross loss of lives here even more distressing. Everyone was eager to share their stories with me.

Sao's son, Oh, was set to go out fishing that morning. Then he noticed that the tide was very low. Out on the horizon was a white line that grew larger and larger. Oh realized there was going to be trouble and ran for higher ground. Those that had already gone out on the water weren't so lucky.

Tsunami Survivor Oh

On Boxing Day, Granny was near the ocean with 2 of her host of grandchildren. She glanced out at the ocean and saw the wave coming. This elderly lady is a true hero. She scooped up a grandchild under each arm and ran.

SuperGranny

The Two Kids on the Right Were Saved by Granny

Stunned at the trauma the Ban Nam Khem villagers must deal with every day, I tried to change the subject. I asked Sao where her house was. She pointed in the direction of a shanty made of scrap wood and metal and a nearby tent. She and her husband sleep in the shed and the kids sleep in the tent. Thankfully the Thai Military is currently working on their house and will be finished in July.

A Tiny Shack and a Tent: Home Sweet Home

Then I asked, “What do people around here need the most? Houses? Food? What?” The unanimous reply was Work. Cousin Noi told me he used to be a tailor at one of the resorts. He made suits and repaired garments. His resort was washed away. Noi said “they are going to rebuild it in 2 years – but I have to eat before then!”

Sadly, unemployment and underemployment are much greater problems than homelessness or hunger now. One villager remarked to me “Those that died have it much better than the rest of us.”

Apparently the government is giving fishing boats to the villagers, but only to the people who had a boat before the tsunami. This will help the fishermen in the village, but what about those that were employed in the tourism industry? No one is giving them resorts or tourism jobs; they'll have to fend for themselves.

At the moment, the only westerners in the area are volunteers. Rebuilding homes, teaching English, aid distribution and other local improvements are their main foci. Unfortunately, the average volunteer to Khao Lak is not wealthy. Demand at high-end resorts (which employ the most numbers of people) is very low now. I visited several quality resorts to survey damage and reconstruction. They are mostly rebuilt now, idly sitting empty.

The Thai Military Builds a New Home for Sao's Family

In August, the Thai Military will be finished and will pull out of Ban Nam Khem. Sao and the other villagers fervently believe that when the military leaves that other organizations from the West will come to help. “I think so,” I replied, not having the heart to tell her that I think otherwise. With the western media having moved on to other topics, the tsunami is slowly being forgotten in areas of the world the wave didn't wallop. Aid money will slow down too, and not likely reach actual victims anyway.

Glancing at my watch, I realized it was time to leave. I asked for the bill for my coffee. Sao's husband remarked “don't worry about it, it's free.” I politely insisted I should pay. They refused, so I thanked and wai-ed them and set out from the village. Then it struck me. I came to offer charity and ended up receiving it. These people have absolutely nothing and they still gave me a free cup of coffee. Generosity is endemic to all Thai people, but here it hit me the hardest. I know I'll probably never be able to repay the kindness I've felt here, but I'm still going to try.

In the Village of Salty Water, excluding the ocean, I found no other evidence of any salty water, except as I was leaving town: it was running down my cheeks.

For those that would like to volunteer in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of this area, please contact us.

-A pleasing footnote in the villagers' recovery is that Khao Lak recently opened a Mental Health Center, run by the Ministry of Health, for counseling and consoling those that are still unable to cope.