Backpackers Rebuild Koh Phi Phi

[george]

Backpackers rebuild Thailand's "Beach"

KOH PHI PHI: -- To the strains of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley, a backpacker army of anybody from Australian computer boffins to Irish plasterers is rebuilding the tsunami-devastated Thai paradise of Koh Phi Phi.

Rumours swirl around the tiny island, made famous by cult Leonardo di Caprio movie 'The Beach', that government and big business are conspiring to annex the former tourist playground and turn it into a $1,000( 534 pounds)-a-night luxury resort.

The tales of crony capitalists ganging up on the 'little man' only fuel the outrage and fervour of the sandal-wearing volunteers, who swarm over the rubble like ants, tearing down buildings, carting rubble, painting walls and sweeping floors.

From the humble beginnings of a few long-term foreign residents and Thais returning to rebuild their lives, 'Hi Phi Phi' now has several hundred volunteers officially registered on its books.

As word passes down the backpacker trail by word of mouth and across the world via the Internet cafes that have already reopened only three months after the killer wave hit the coast on December 26, the numbers are swelling by the day.

"At the beginning it was pretty much just digging rubble and carting rubbish," said Anglo-Dutch lawyer Richard Gerristen, 24, who is in charge of registering new arrivals to what is essentially a hippie colony with a work ethic.

"But now it's getting more organised, and we really need some people with construction experience -- electricians, plasterers, carpenters, you name it," he said.

Most volunteers only came for a day to survey the damage on Phi Phi, where as many as 1,000 people might have died, but saw they could help and ended up grabbing a shovel.

"We came here just to check it out and see if we could help a bit, and we've now been here seven weeks," said Jay Nicholson, 28, a software expert from Melbourne, as he plastered the wall of the Oasis Bar which is due to reopen any day now.

"And I'm trying to convince my wife to make it longer."

'TSUNAMI CHIC'

Every night, the volunteers meet on the beach to plan the next day's work -- whether it be tearing down a hut, plastering a bar or moving the tool shed to bigger premises to accommodate the grinding irons, spades and trowels being sent from overseas.

'Tsunami chic' is also setting in, with many helpers sporting "Phi Phi - I survived" tee-shirts, along with the seemingly obligatory goatees, tattoos, earrings and necklaces.

Thai residents of Phi Phi, who complain they are getting little or no help from the government, are also coming back in greater numbers as the hippie influx kick-starts the economy.

"We have only a few customers at the moment, but it is getting better every day," said Kodiroh Tiranont, who has restocked her clothing shop with bikinis and swimming trunks.

In a sure sign things are returning to normal, pirate DVDs are back on sale, and each day fishing boats arrive brimming with all the trappings of a bustling holiday island: beach pillows, beer glasses, postcard racks -- and cement mixers.

"You've just got to have the proper kit," said John Magee, a bearded 59-year-old Irish builder who turned up five weeks ago with a cement mixer he bought on the mainland.

"You should have seen their faces when we asked for some help getting this off the boat. Still, in this heat, you can't go mixing cement by hand -- it drains the spirit."

--TNA 2005-03-24

[The_Moog]

ํYou'd think TNA would know the difference between Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le.

[SoCal]

Those good for nothing backpackers.

[thaibebop]

Get up, stand up, and don't let the bastards get ya down.

[RDN]

I hope their work permits are in order...

[sriracha john]

Backpackers rebuild Thailand's "Beach"

government and big business are conspiring to annex the former tourist playground and turn it into a $1,000( 534 pounds)-a-night luxury resort.

The tales of crony capitalists ganging up on the 'little man' only fuel the outrage and fervour of the sandal-wearing volunteers, who swarm over the rubble like ants, tearing down buildings, carting rubble, painting walls and sweeping floors.

All this misguided effort on the part of volunteers.... it's amazingly naive and downright stupid. Rebuild a place and then not be able to even afford to return after the "5-stars" have taken it over. What a waste of time, energy, and money for them....

[thaibebop]

Backpackers rebuild Thailand's "Beach"

government and big business are conspiring to annex the former tourist playground and turn it into a $1,000( 534 pounds)-a-night luxury resort.

The tales of crony capitalists ganging up on the 'little man' only fuel the outrage and fervour of the sandal-wearing volunteers, who swarm over the rubble like ants, tearing down buildings, carting rubble, painting walls and sweeping floors.

All this misguided effort on the part of volunteers.... it's amazingly naive and downright stupid. Rebuild a place and then not be able to even afford to return after the "5-stars" have taken it over. What a waste of time, energy, and money for them....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, maybe they'll get something out of it that's good for the mind, body, or soul rather than the wallet.

[mickmac]

Hey "Moonface", where are your high rollers now?

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

Uh?

Usually we take some small consolation by the cleaner beach ecology in Patong etc.

Now there's this story about Phi Phi reconstructing in precisely the same image as before .

Lets be straight, Phi Phi was HORRIBLE before - a right old jumbly labyrinthine mish mash .

Let the 5* resorts have it, I say. They could build on a hill and clear away the slum betwixt the two beaches.

Edited March 25, 2005 by The_Eye_Of_Sauron

[Diggerbasher]

They should reconstruct it to how it was fifteen years ago and not just before the tsunumi.

[mr_lob]

Backpackers rebuild Thailand's "Beach"

government and big business are conspiring to annex the former tourist playground and turn it into a $1,000( 534 pounds)-a-night luxury resort.

The tales of crony capitalists ganging up on the 'little man' only fuel the outrage and fervour of the sandal-wearing volunteers, who swarm over the rubble like ants, tearing down buildings, carting rubble, painting walls and sweeping floors.

All this misguided effort on the part of volunteers.... it's amazingly naive and downright stupid. Rebuild a place and then not be able to even afford to return after the "5-stars" have taken it over. What a waste of time, energy, and money for them....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not a waste of time at all...these are only rumours. I can't see big spenders wanting to holiday on Phi Phi where up to 1000 died...this will be budget traveller territory again. I was on the dive boat out there the other day and a swedish girl told me that tour operators back home are'nt even allowed to mention 'Phi Phi'...which seems a bit crazy. Good on the volunteers i say...some of them had businesses there before, and i for one would be damned if i just sat back and did'nt re-build.

Edited March 25, 2005 by mr_lob

[sriracha john]

Hey "Moonface", where are your high rollers now?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ohh...don't worry... they'll be there soon enough. They are just waiting for now so they can get some more free work out of these volunteers. Why pay a construction crew when you have foreigners willing to come here and do it for free??

[sriracha john]

Backpackers rebuild Thailand's "Beach"

government and big business are conspiring to annex the former tourist playground and turn it into a $1,000( 534 pounds)-a-night luxury resort.

The tales of crony capitalists ganging up on the 'little man' only fuel the outrage and fervour of the sandal-wearing volunteers, who swarm over the rubble like ants, tearing down buildings, carting rubble, painting walls and sweeping floors.

All this misguided effort on the part of volunteers.... it's amazingly naive and downright stupid. Rebuild a place and then not be able to even afford to return after the "5-stars" have taken it over. What a waste of time, energy, and money for them....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not a waste of time at all...these are only rumours. I can't see big spenders wanting to holiday on Phi Phi where up to 1000 died...this will be budget traveller territory again. I was on the dive boat out there the other day and a swedish girl told me that tour operators back home are'nt even allowed to mention 'Phi Phi'...which seems a bit crazy. Good on the volunteers i say...some of them had businesses there before, and i for one would be damned if i just sat back and did'nt re-build.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't impune their good intentions at all, but just wish they'd be doing volunteer work for someone besides the fat cats that will reap all the benefits of their hard work. It is destined to become an exclusive island, through the efforts of politicians and businessmen, that most of these volunteers will not be able to return to once the 5-stars are in place. The writing is on the wall for it to become the next over-done Samui, albeit on an even more high-so level due to the limited space there.

The "big spenders" will not have any problem coming...as their belief system is not usually tied to spirituality or any fears regarding the loss of life from the tsunami.

[sriracha john]

Backpackers rebuild Thailand's "Beach"

government and big business are conspiring to annex the former tourist playground and turn it into a $1,000( 534 pounds)-a-night luxury resort.

The tales of crony capitalists ganging up on the 'little man' only fuel the outrage and fervour of the sandal-wearing volunteers, who swarm over the rubble like ants, tearing down buildings, carting rubble, painting walls and sweeping floors.

All this misguided effort on the part of volunteers.... it's amazingly naive and downright stupid. Rebuild a place and then not be able to even afford to return after the "5-stars" have taken it over. What a waste of time, energy, and money for them....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not a waste of time at all...these are only rumours. I can't see big spenders wanting to holiday on Phi Phi where up to 1000 died...this will be budget traveller territory again. I was on the dive boat out there the other day and a swedish girl told me that tour operators back home are'nt even allowed to mention 'Phi Phi'...which seems a bit crazy. Good on the volunteers i say...some of them had businesses there before, and i for one would be damned if i just sat back and did'nt re-build.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't impune their good intentions at all, but just wish they'd be doing volunteer work for someone besides the fat cats that will reap all the benefits of their hard work. It is destined to become an exclusive island, through the efforts of politicians and businessmen, that most of these volunteers will not be able to return to once the 5-stars are in place. The writing is on the wall for it to become the next over-done Samui, albeit on an even more high-so level due to the limited space there.

The "big spenders" will not have any problem coming...as their belief system is not usually tied to spirituality or any fears regarding the loss of life from the tsunami.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hate to say, "I told you so," but......

"I told you so..."

Seems to be getting easier to see through things here... even Seven months ahead of time:

Koh Phi Phi to go up-market

October 31, 2005

Development plan to target wealthy tourists

Tsunami-ravaged Koh Phi Phi will be transformed into a "boutique island'' under a development plan, Deputy Prime Minister Phinij Jarusombat said yesterday. Mr Phinij, who chaired a meeting on the island's environment, said the plan would involve upgrading tourism facilities, including hotels and restaurants, to world class standard and limiting the number of tourists, both day-trippers and overnight stayers.

"Accommodation on the island will be in a higher price range of between 5,000 and 30,000 baht rather than the 300 baht to 1,000 baht as at present,'' he said.

In the future Phi Phi would welcome fewer visitors each year, but revenues would double because after the facelift it would cater more for high-end tourists.

"The island makes about 10 million baht from around one million tourists annually. Under the plan an annual target of around 400,000 tourists would be set, with revenue expected to rise to 20-30 million baht.''

---------------------------------------

And from a different article, this one by the Bangkok Herald-Examiner:

Today, Deputy Prime Minister Phinij expressed his thankfulness to all the hundreds of volunteer backpackers who toiled tirelessly for months and months without pay in order to turn his plans of redoing Phi Phi island into reality. He is inviting them back to Thailand in order to begin construction work on the new Skytrain extensions in Bangkok for the same salary.

He also voiced confidence that their good will could also benefit a number of other infrastructure megaprojects such as dams and highways in the Northeast.

He did elaborate that rather than misuse their benevolent labors for such projects that benefited the "average Joe" in Thailand, it might be better for Thailand if they utilized this free work force elsewhere. He thought that in keeping with their Phi Phi efforts, it would better if they limited their work to constructing elaborate driveways and decorative goldfish ponds at some of the more exclusive estates owned by the Bangkok ultra-rich.

[aughie]

"The island makes about 10 million baht from around one million tourists annually. Under the plan an annual target of around 400,000 tourists would be set, with revenue expected to rise to 20-30 million baht.''

Fewer people spending more may translate well for the local ecology - less sludge and garbage making it's way into the sea. But this means even though more money may come to the island, it will not be spread around as much by the fewer people who spend it. Overall, the island's people may well not be better off financialy.

Edited October 31, 2005 by aughie

[Maejo Man]

"The island makes about 10 million baht from around one million tourists annually.:

Thai maths?

[meadish_sweetball]

They all generate 10 baht of income each. Now that's some feat. Frugality taken to the extreme.

As has been said, going upscale will probably be good for the ecology and bad for the economy of locals, as the people with enough money to invest in 5 star projects are typically not Sea gypsies (perhaps with a very few exceptions) but Bangkok dwellers and foreign interests.

[sriracha john]

"The island makes about 10 million baht from around one million tourists annually.:

Thai maths?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At 10 baht each, they ARE extremely cheap, but even the high-end tourists will only spend 50 baht....

20,000,000 baht / 400,000 tourists

[sbk]

"The island makes about 10 million baht from around one million tourists annually. Under the plan an annual target of around 400,000 tourists would be set, with revenue expected to rise to 20-30 million baht.''

Fewer people spending more may translate well for the local ecology - less sludge and garbage making it's way into the sea. But this means even though more money may come to the island, it will not be spread around as much by the fewer people who spend it. Overall, the island's people may well not be better off financialy.

It certainly won't benefit the LOCAL economy since all the locals will be pushed out once it is taken over by big business 5 star resorts. Or locals who previously owned their own business will end up employees of some corporate hotel.

[cdnvic]

I'd be very skeptical of that island being able to support a 5 star hotel(s). Keeping it supplied would be a nightmare. Transporting materials and equipment to do the construction would be a pain, and things like fresh water, and electricity would be a challenge.

cv