Info Wanted Re Patong School

[xxlandofsmilesxx]

Can anyone give me some info on how the school on Patong Beach has been affected?

Were many children from the school drowned? How many children are at the school now?

Who is the Head teacher or contact at the school? Is it on the net and has email? Are there any farang English speaking teachers I might be able to contact?

I'd like to know as much as possible as I'm travelling to Phuket in a few weeks time. I've been many times in the last 10 years...even met my last wife there. I cried when I saw the pictures of the aftermath of the waves.

I am doing my own collection of books and sweets for the kids back in the UK and hopefully get local radio involved too and maybe get some monetary donations to bring with me as the airlines will only let me bring one suitcase.

Any info much appreciated.

Rex

[email protected]

[RDN]

Can anyone give me some info on how the school on Patong Beach has been affected? ....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the school you are referring to is the one in Kamala - it is not in Patong. As far as I can determine, the school was empty at the time of the tsunami.

[xxlandofsmilesxx]

No not the school in Kamala.

The school in PATONG Beach. Makes the corner of RAT-U-THIT road and SAWATDIRAK road.

[RDN]

No not the school in Kamala.

The school in PATONG Beach. Makes the corner of RAT-U-THIT road and SAWATDIRAK road.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, I know the one you mean - it's Sai Nam Yen school - but it's a long way from the beach, maybe 300 yards or more. I know there was a lot of water down Rat U Thit road, but I haven't heard of any damage to the school itself - the only one I've heard of in Phuket being the one in Kamala. I also remember that the school has a solid looking wall around it - if I can find a current picture I'll post it here, but I don't think you need worry too much.

[xxlandofsmilesxx]

Thanks for that. SKY News have been showing children going back to a school where they have lost just about all their books and sports equipment and only half the children were there because the remainder were so traumatised from having seen some of their friends and relatives swept away that they were too frightened to go back. SKY implied that the school was in Patong so I took it to be Sai Nam Yen. Maybe it was then, as the children wouldn't have been at school when the waves hit would they and so any that lived on the shore could have been killed or seen people killed :-(

[RDN]

Thanks for that. SKY News have been showing children going back to a school where they have lost just about all their books and sports equipment and only half the children were there because the remainder were so traumatised from having seen some of their friends and relatives swept away that they were too frightened to go back. SKY implied that the school was in Patong so I took it to be Sai Nam Yen. Maybe it was then, as the children wouldn't have been at school when the waves hit would they and so any that lived on the shore could have been killed or seen people killed :-(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...and that's why I thought you meant the school in Kamala which I am sure is the one they showed on the news reports. The news report said something like 1 in 4 turned up for school and that 1 teacher had died - but I'm sure that death occurred outside the school.

Anyway, I went to Ban Sai Nam Yen school today and it appeared to be open as normal - kids playing "takraw" and football outside at 5:30 pm. No apparent damage. The school does have a solid wall around it and would have been sheltered from any water coming up the road from the beach by other shops and by Thara Patong Beach resort which lies between it and the beach road.

[xxlandofsmilesxx]

Thanks for the info. Looks like I should aiming my efforts at the Kamala school then...looks like that one took a nasty hit.

[RDN]

Thanks for the info. Looks like I should aiming my efforts at the Kamala school then...looks like that one took a nasty hit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Indeed it did - and if you are serious about trying to help, the Phuket Gazette has a story that should interest you about that very school:

Call for donations to rebuild schools

PHUKET: Those interested in making donations for rebuilding Baan Kamala and Baan Kalim schools, both of which were badly damaged in the tsunami, can do so using the bank account information below.

All proceeds will go toward reconstruction and providing scholarships to students who lost their parents in the tsunami.

The first account, the Phuket Educational Area Relief Fund, will be administered by officials from the local branch of the Education Ministry, which will allocate the funds:

Bank: Krung Thai Bank; Branch: Phuket; Account name: Phuket Educational Area Relief Fund; Account number: 805-002293-5; Swift Code: KTDTHTB

Donors to this account are asked to contact K. Premjit via email to [email protected] or Fax to +66 76 214066 or 214553, or by calling Tel: +66 76 211591 (ext 30), after transferring funds into the account.

The second account will be administered directly by the teachers at Baan Kamala School. The account details are:

Bank: Krung Thai Bank; Branch: Patong; Account name: Kamala School Donations; Account number: 837-0-00808-9; Swift code: KTDTHTB

Baan Kamala School is now closed for reconstruction but is tentatively scheduled to reopen on January 10.

Brought to you by:

The Phuket Gazette

18:01 local time (GMT +7)

[xxlandofsmilesxx]

Cheers. Kalim it is then and maybe Kamala too.

Is anyone able to find out any more info for me? Like how many children from Kalim school died; how many injured; how many lost family members? One of the teachers died didn't they?

I need to know as much as possible because my local radio station is interviewing me on Monday and they will want to know all about the school.

I've already got a load of soft toys and some sweets to bring. Just hope i can get Phuket Air to let me bring 3 or 4 suitcases without hitting me with excess baggage!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Cheers. Kalim it is then and maybe Kamala too.

Is anyone able to find out any more info for me? Like how many children from Kalim school died; how many injured; how many lost family members? One of the teachers died didn't they?

I need to know as much as possible because my local radio station is interviewing me on Monday and they will want to know all about the school.

I've already got a load of soft toys and some sweets to bring. Just hope i can get Phuket Air to let me bring 3 or 4 suitcases without hitting me with excess baggage!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It'd be a strange radio station that wanted to interview someone that is bereft of first hand knowlege

[xxlandofsmilesxx]

??

I've been to Patong a dozen times in the last 10 years. I'm going on the radio to appeal for more items to bring out for the schools.