Phuket - Beverly Turner
Dec 26th, 2004 | 11:08 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 245
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Phuket - Beverly Turner
I know this is not the prime purpose of our board, but let's use the network as we can in the current circumstances.
This is a mail I (and probably some other Fodorites) just received from Ratt in Bangkok. Can anybody on our board help with info? Or, if Beverly reads this, can she contact Ratt, who is very worried?
quote - Do you know Beverly Turnner? I don't know where they are. Their schedule
will be in Phuket.- unquote
This is a mail I (and probably some other Fodorites) just received from Ratt in Bangkok. Can anybody on our board help with info? Or, if Beverly reads this, can she contact Ratt, who is very worried?
quote - Do you know Beverly Turnner? I don't know where they are. Their schedule
will be in Phuket.- unquote
Dec 26th, 2004 | 07:55 PM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
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i have been in contact with bev but not since last week....i have just now sent her an e-mail and will let you know if i get a response....i do think they are in phuket at this time but can not remember her schedule exactly nor the place where they were staying in phuket....
more later..
bob
more later..
bob
Dec 27th, 2004 | 09:38 AM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Jul 2004
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Good news in a bad situation. Ratt has found Beverly back. She is now out of Phuket, where basically nothing is left of the hotels, etc. Beverly has taken a flight and is currently in Chiang Mai. So all's well, at least for her. Thanks for your reactions.
I have had contact with good Indian friends whom I met last January in a fishermen's village just outside Mamallapuram. They are simple but very good, generous and heartwarming people. Nothing is left of their village. No straw huts anymore, no generator and power lines left, no boats anymore, etc etc. All gone. A full cataclysm. A friend of mine in Belgium (I am Belgian), through whom I got to know those fishermen, is setting up an account to help them reconstruct their village. I really feel the need of doing something to show solidarity.
I have had contact with good Indian friends whom I met last January in a fishermen's village just outside Mamallapuram. They are simple but very good, generous and heartwarming people. Nothing is left of their village. No straw huts anymore, no generator and power lines left, no boats anymore, etc etc. All gone. A full cataclysm. A friend of mine in Belgium (I am Belgian), through whom I got to know those fishermen, is setting up an account to help them reconstruct their village. I really feel the need of doing something to show solidarity.
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Dec 30th, 2004 | 05:35 AM
#8
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
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i have heard directly from bev turner this morning....they are all fine....she was in fact staying in phuket that fateful morning, but had left town for an all day outing, inland and north of phuket...they are leaving a very busy bangkok today for hong kong and will arrive home in canada on jan 2 or 3....they are the luckiest people in the world!!!!...
i will try and forward their interesting message to this forum later this morning...you will find it very informative...
so all the info we received was incorrect....rat had no contact with them i gather...they were not in CM...
i will try and forward their interesting message to this forum later this morning...you will find it very informative...
so all the info we received was incorrect....rat had no contact with them i gather...they were not in CM...
Dec 30th, 2004 | 06:30 AM
#9
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
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Dear Bob and Karen,
Thanks for writing. I don't know where Ratt got the idea that we were in CM (is that Chang Mai?). We were staying in Phuket when the tsunami hit but had gone out for a day trip (see below).
We are at the Bangkok Airport right now and fly to Hong Kong later on today (our flight has been delayed by 5 hours as the plane is held up in Bombay, India.) I am so glad to be writing this. We were staying in Phuket when the tsunami hit Thailand. We had gotten up early that day to go on a day trip to James Bond Island in Phang Nga province. (This was the only big day trip we planned the whole time we were in Phuket). Leah and Erin were grumbling about having to be picked up at 8:00am. We had driven over the land bridge which connects Phuket to Phang Nga province and had gone to a town where we were loaded onto a longtail boat. There were 39 of us on the boat. Just before we were about to leave, the guide got a call on her cell phone that we were to get off the boat immediately as there was an "underwater storm" and the boat in front of us had been hit by huge waves and had broken apart. All of the people on that boat were in the water. We quickly got off the boat and got back onto the bus. They took us to the Elephant Safari Park where we spent the day (about 8 hours). At this time, we had no idea of how serious the situation was. We later found out that there had been an earthquake which was very large and all the beach resorts had been hit by tsunamis. The Thais told us later that we had been saved by the elephants.
We had to stay in Phuket Town that night which was on high ground and away from the beach areas. We slept in a very bad hotel (no star rating, but lots of ants and dirt, free of charge.) But we were lucky not to be sleeping with the elephants or not to be sleeping permanently. THe next day we were finally able to return to our hotel at Kalim Bay (north Patong) as the roads had been closed the night before. We returned to Patong to find destruction everywhere. Our hotel at Kalim Bay was for the most part destroyed on the first floor. Luckily we were staying on the second floor. We got into the room through the fire escape and were able to get all our suitcases which were fine. Our apartment on the second floor was OK but the one beneath us was ruined as was the beautiful pool and restaurant area. The staff from the hotel had left and taken the keys so Erin remembered the patio doors being unlocked. She went through the fire escape and got us into our room safely. We only stayed long enough to get our stuff as there was no electricity or running water (or people) at the hotel. The staff and tourists that had been staying there had all disappeared. It was spooky to say the least. We went to a hotel nearby which was on higher ground and was not damaged. We stayed there one night and flew to Bangkok the next day as we already had reservations to fly that day anyways. It was very difficult trying to get a taxi to the airport as there were thousands of people trying to leave Phuket. At the airport, it was a scene of much confusion. We spent 2 nights in Bangkok and are now trying to get to Hong Kong. We fly home to Canada on January 2/05.
Before we left Patong, Bruce and I left the girls safely in our apartment at Kalim as it was too dangerous for them to go with us to Patong. We walked the entire road in front of Patong Beach and could not believe the destruction that we saw. The sidewalks and roads were broken in many places. There was glass and debris, chunks of metal, palm trees laying all over the streets. Diggers were working trying to clear some of the debris, cars, motorcycles and tutuks were overturned everythere. We saw boats that had been in the water all over the streets and some were on top of hotels. There was a pick-up truck on top of a power line and 3 cars floating in the pool of the Holiday Inn where we had eaten 2 dinners ( a great restuarant actually). All the businesses on the street were gone, nothing left but shells of buildings. The laundry where we had taken our clothes the day before was gone (our clothes with it). The tailor shop where we had ordered a big order of custom made clothes was destroyed and the owner of the shop was in hospital. He had almost drowned when the wave hit. The stores and shops where the girls had bartered for their souvenirs were wiped out. We don't know what happened to many of the people we met as everything they had was destroyed and many of them have probably been killed. All of the resorts we had stayed at were badly damaged, the Phi Phi Princess on Phi Phi island where we stayed last week is wiped out and many of the staff and customers are dead.
Bruce and I felt that we were in a war zone that day in Patong, we had never seen anything like this and hope never to see anything like it again. They were removing a dead body from a shop we were walking by. It was so hot the day we were there with all the sand on the street, still wet from the huge salt water waves. It felt like we were in an oven. At one point, I became overwhelmed with grief at what I saw. I had to sit down and weep on the side of the road. A Thai woman came by and was patting me on the arm and saying "I'm sorry Madam." I felt really bad as I should have been comforting her instead of the other way around. She gave me a container of Thai milk to drink and offered to get us a taxi but they were so scarce at that point, I thought others needed it far worse than us. We have been in shock ever since we got to Bangkok and didn't feel much like touring but did go around to some of the major sites yesterday. Your Bangkok Marriott was lovel, Bob.. The pool was fantastic as you said but very busy as was the entire hotel - they had brought people in from the Phuket Marriott which received a lot of damage and from another hotel as well in Phuket so they were totally full. We stayed on the 5th floor of the South Building, fabulous view of the river and fantastic breakfast!!! A great place to stay, I just wish I could have enjoyed it more but I am still feeling very "shell shocked" over the events of the past few days.
I will have to go on Fodors when I get home and find out what Ratt reported about us. That is a funny story. I have another very funny one to relate to you but that will have to wait until we get home as my time at the Internet Cafe here is gone. Staying on the river was a great idea as you suggested. We used many of your suggestions and everyone kept saying "Thanks Bob". Three nights in Hong Kong and then we are going home, will write more then. In the meantime, take care and thanks for thinking of us at this very sad and difficult time.
As ever,
Bev, Bruce, Leah and Erin Turner
Thanks for writing. I don't know where Ratt got the idea that we were in CM (is that Chang Mai?). We were staying in Phuket when the tsunami hit but had gone out for a day trip (see below).
We are at the Bangkok Airport right now and fly to Hong Kong later on today (our flight has been delayed by 5 hours as the plane is held up in Bombay, India.) I am so glad to be writing this. We were staying in Phuket when the tsunami hit Thailand. We had gotten up early that day to go on a day trip to James Bond Island in Phang Nga province. (This was the only big day trip we planned the whole time we were in Phuket). Leah and Erin were grumbling about having to be picked up at 8:00am. We had driven over the land bridge which connects Phuket to Phang Nga province and had gone to a town where we were loaded onto a longtail boat. There were 39 of us on the boat. Just before we were about to leave, the guide got a call on her cell phone that we were to get off the boat immediately as there was an "underwater storm" and the boat in front of us had been hit by huge waves and had broken apart. All of the people on that boat were in the water. We quickly got off the boat and got back onto the bus. They took us to the Elephant Safari Park where we spent the day (about 8 hours). At this time, we had no idea of how serious the situation was. We later found out that there had been an earthquake which was very large and all the beach resorts had been hit by tsunamis. The Thais told us later that we had been saved by the elephants.
We had to stay in Phuket Town that night which was on high ground and away from the beach areas. We slept in a very bad hotel (no star rating, but lots of ants and dirt, free of charge.) But we were lucky not to be sleeping with the elephants or not to be sleeping permanently. THe next day we were finally able to return to our hotel at Kalim Bay (north Patong) as the roads had been closed the night before. We returned to Patong to find destruction everywhere. Our hotel at Kalim Bay was for the most part destroyed on the first floor. Luckily we were staying on the second floor. We got into the room through the fire escape and were able to get all our suitcases which were fine. Our apartment on the second floor was OK but the one beneath us was ruined as was the beautiful pool and restaurant area. The staff from the hotel had left and taken the keys so Erin remembered the patio doors being unlocked. She went through the fire escape and got us into our room safely. We only stayed long enough to get our stuff as there was no electricity or running water (or people) at the hotel. The staff and tourists that had been staying there had all disappeared. It was spooky to say the least. We went to a hotel nearby which was on higher ground and was not damaged. We stayed there one night and flew to Bangkok the next day as we already had reservations to fly that day anyways. It was very difficult trying to get a taxi to the airport as there were thousands of people trying to leave Phuket. At the airport, it was a scene of much confusion. We spent 2 nights in Bangkok and are now trying to get to Hong Kong. We fly home to Canada on January 2/05.
Before we left Patong, Bruce and I left the girls safely in our apartment at Kalim as it was too dangerous for them to go with us to Patong. We walked the entire road in front of Patong Beach and could not believe the destruction that we saw. The sidewalks and roads were broken in many places. There was glass and debris, chunks of metal, palm trees laying all over the streets. Diggers were working trying to clear some of the debris, cars, motorcycles and tutuks were overturned everythere. We saw boats that had been in the water all over the streets and some were on top of hotels. There was a pick-up truck on top of a power line and 3 cars floating in the pool of the Holiday Inn where we had eaten 2 dinners ( a great restuarant actually). All the businesses on the street were gone, nothing left but shells of buildings. The laundry where we had taken our clothes the day before was gone (our clothes with it). The tailor shop where we had ordered a big order of custom made clothes was destroyed and the owner of the shop was in hospital. He had almost drowned when the wave hit. The stores and shops where the girls had bartered for their souvenirs were wiped out. We don't know what happened to many of the people we met as everything they had was destroyed and many of them have probably been killed. All of the resorts we had stayed at were badly damaged, the Phi Phi Princess on Phi Phi island where we stayed last week is wiped out and many of the staff and customers are dead.
Bruce and I felt that we were in a war zone that day in Patong, we had never seen anything like this and hope never to see anything like it again. They were removing a dead body from a shop we were walking by. It was so hot the day we were there with all the sand on the street, still wet from the huge salt water waves. It felt like we were in an oven. At one point, I became overwhelmed with grief at what I saw. I had to sit down and weep on the side of the road. A Thai woman came by and was patting me on the arm and saying "I'm sorry Madam." I felt really bad as I should have been comforting her instead of the other way around. She gave me a container of Thai milk to drink and offered to get us a taxi but they were so scarce at that point, I thought others needed it far worse than us. We have been in shock ever since we got to Bangkok and didn't feel much like touring but did go around to some of the major sites yesterday. Your Bangkok Marriott was lovel, Bob.. The pool was fantastic as you said but very busy as was the entire hotel - they had brought people in from the Phuket Marriott which received a lot of damage and from another hotel as well in Phuket so they were totally full. We stayed on the 5th floor of the South Building, fabulous view of the river and fantastic breakfast!!! A great place to stay, I just wish I could have enjoyed it more but I am still feeling very "shell shocked" over the events of the past few days.
I will have to go on Fodors when I get home and find out what Ratt reported about us. That is a funny story. I have another very funny one to relate to you but that will have to wait until we get home as my time at the Internet Cafe here is gone. Staying on the river was a great idea as you suggested. We used many of your suggestions and everyone kept saying "Thanks Bob". Three nights in Hong Kong and then we are going home, will write more then. In the meantime, take care and thanks for thinking of us at this very sad and difficult time.
As ever,
Bev, Bruce, Leah and Erin Turner
Dec 31st, 2004 | 04:40 AM
#14
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
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she has been a frequent guest on here the last 6-8 months.... i forget her name sorry....i communicate with her privately also... she will be back in western canada in a few days and will probably answer for herself and she has told me that she will be contributing a longer review of her trip at some point...
bob
bob
Dec 31st, 2004 | 11:44 AM
#17
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,657
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Excellent report. Thank you for posting. This sounds so much worse than hurricane damage...so widespread, so unexpected. I wondered if any Fodorites were in the areas. At the same time, it is so heartrending to think of the people who worked so hard to make these vacation paradises so beautiful and wonderful and the folks with normal, simple lives in surrounding villages. Nature is so powerful.
Jan 4th, 2005 | 06:21 PM
#18
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
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i just received a message from bev who returned home to canada on jan 2...they are all safe and sound and had a wonderful first travel experience to asia, except for some of their visit to phuket....
i have encouraged her to make a report on the trip on fodors when she has time as many of you will want to hear first hand....this closes this thread i guess...
i have encouraged her to make a report on the trip on fodors when she has time as many of you will want to hear first hand....this closes this thread i guess...
