Survivors make urgent appeal for shelter

PHANG-NGA: -- Tsunami survivors who have been living in the hills since Sunday desperately need shelter and accommodation, Permanent Secretary for Social Development and Human Security Wanlop Phloytabtim said today.

Mr. Wanlop, who today led a team of social work academics to visit survivors in the country's southern Phang-nga Province, said that local social work officials had spoken of the need for urgent assistance, particularly in the form of accommodation.

Many local people saw their houses completely destroyed by the massive tidal waves that crashed into the Andaman coast on Sunday morning, and around 500 terrified survivors from tambon Khuek Khak are still living a hand-to-mouth existence in the hills.

Mr. Wanlop said that the survivors also needed emergency cash, and that the ministry was providing Bt1,000 each to an initial 34 survivors.

--TNA 2004-12-30

Survivors tell of continuing fear

BANGKOK, Dec 30 (TNA) - Thais from the North who had been working in hotels and resorts on the country's southern Andaman coast at the time of Sunday's tsunami tragedy told reporters today that they were continuing to relive the memory of the disaster, and were unlikely to return to work in the affected areas.

All the Thai workers, who are currently being housed in student dormitories in Bangkok, said that they were still terrified, and would think twice about returning to the southern beaches.

Mr. Phiya Saesang, a 19 year-old from Tak Province who had been working on Koh Phi Phi in Phang-nga Province for only three months before the disaster struck, told reporters that two of his sisters and his five year-old nephew were still missing.

Originally attracted to Phi Phi by the relatively high wages on offer, Mr. Phiya had managed to save up Bt10,000 in three months, only to see it all swept out to sea on Sunday.

Mrs. Wojanee Maneewan, who together with friends owned a beauty parlour on Phuket's Kamala Beach, said that she had no idea what she might do now.

For now, she said, she just needed to overcome her fear and exhaustion.

--TNA 2004-12-30