able to answer that question asked on t-shirts across Thailand’s resort island of Phuket.
Hidden behind the famous smiles of young and old residents of this Asian paradise on earth, are tales of sadness and nightmares.
Up to 4,000 people died here and in neighboring islands December 26 when violent waves hit several Asian countries, although officials say the final death toll may never be known. With the high season not far away, Thai fishermen are still trying to clean up beaches from shoes, towels or a bathrobe from a child left behind in the tsunami which killed hundreds of thousands across Asia. "The smiles you see here are not real," say locals at Phuket’s Patong Beach.
A 19-year old Thai woman working as a manicure still recalls how she and her husband ran
away for the sea with their small child. Their fast motorbike brought them to safety just before the second violent wave hit this area.
THOUSANDS DIED
But many others died in Phuket. Some made a fortune overnight as residents discovered golden rings and diamonds. Others make money with photo’s and other souvenirs of the tsunami. There are even "tsunami massages" and controversial time share plans from British and other hotel chains "to boost local tourism."
Bars are slowly re-opening, where local costumers mingle among tourists and try to forget the day that sand turned into blood on several parts of nearby beaches. Heavy drinking and loud music from live, and not so live, bands accompany their efforts to forgive, and forget, the sea that attacked everything on its way.
The presence of Christian aid groups, including World Vision, and the day and night noise of reconstruction are evidence that the tsunami still impacts the local population here.
FUNERALS OVER
With smoke of the mainly Buddhist funerals long cleared, tsunami survivors have begun searching for spiritual answers, BosNewsLife has learned.
"I have a Good News Bible here," says 22-year old Khin Ba Ha Do who works at The Boss Collection Tailor Shop overlooking the sea. He wants to "live with Jesus" who he believes turned his life around after local doctors confirmed he miraculously survived the tsunami.
As a Buddhist refugee from Burma, who somehow managed to arrive at Phuket, he hoped to strike it rich here. "Everything went very well, till that horrible day came," he explains.
RUNNING AWAY
"I saw the first wave and immediately ran away from my shop. After that wave I thought the situation was safe and tried to pick up money. But than a second wave hit our shop. I believe that wave was about 10 meters (30 feet) high. I was completely under the water. I managed to swim to where light was but could not get to the surface as there was a car above me. After that I lost my conscience."
Doctors later discovered him and thought he was brain dead. "For four days they tried to bring me back to life at a local hospital. I was bleeding everywhere. They were surprised to see I survived and regained my conscience. After one month I was released from hospital."
He has begun reading a simple English language translation of the Bible and
likes especially John 3 verse 16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
FAMILY QUESTIONS
He hopes family members he supports, who now live in Nepal, will also find Christ. "I love to live with Jesus as it is very personal," he says. "I know that he loves me." He admits he does not know why Jesus allowed the tsunami to happen. "I don’t believe God was responsible for it. But it certainly changed my life…"
Christian Freedom International (CFI) and other aid organizations say they are praying for Thailand. "We know that one day everyone will become a Christian, but for now most people here are Buddhists," says CFI President Jim Jacobson.
It supports refugees from Burma living in Thailand, among other projects across Asia. There are already thousands of missionary workers staying in Phuket. With people recovering from the tsunami, an answer to the "what next?" question asked on Phuket t-shirts, may well come in the form of Bible verses.
(This story was first published August 20, 2005, as part of a BosNewsLife Special Mission Project)
On a tour to Pattaya, you should remember to include in your itinerary the excursion to Saithip Butterfly Gardens. You would collect there unforgettable Butterfly of Gardensmemories of the place and wish to visit it again and again.
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