New Zealand expat unearths a Phuket message in a bottle

[Lite Beer]

New Zealand expat unearths a Phuket message in a bottle

Chris Husted

PHUKET: The water in Patong Bay can turn up some odd and delightful surprises, and some items not so delightful. Yet while resident New Zealander Mark Walsdorf was taking an early morning stroll along the sand of Patong Beach last month, something caught his eye… something that turned out to be a message of love.

Phuket resident Mark Walsdorf from New Zealand found the bottle while taking a morning walk along Patong Beach.
Stuck in the sand at the high-tide mark was an opaque square-shaped bottle covered in barnacles.

“I was going for a walk at about 8am, and about 100 metres from the police box at the end of Bangla Rd, I noticed this bottle sticking out of the sand,” explained Mr Walsdorf, a qualified electrician from Auckland who later moved into building custom-specification apartments and houses and retired to Phuket a year ago.

“It didn’t look like a plastic water bottle, or any other normal kind of bottle, and I thought, ‘Now that looks interesting,” he recalled.

Plucking the bottle from the sand, Mr Walsdorf tried as he could, but could barely see inside it.

“A thick layer of barnacles covered the top half, and inside was a lot of little shells,” he said. “I couldn’t see the label to tell what kind of bottle it was, but then I noticed that A message in a bottle there was a note inside, and it looked still dry.”

On returning home, Mr Walsdorf pared off the barnacles to find that the bottle was sealed with a wire-frame stopper, which had kept the note inside bone dry.

He gingerly removed the note from the bottle and slowly unravelled it, but only to discover that the message in the bottle was written in German.

“I held onto the note, and a few weeks later I showed it to a German man I met in a local bar, who gave me a rough translation,” Mr Walsdorf explained.

The rough translation was brief, as was the note: it was a love note from someone on holidays.

German national Holger Schwab, the owner and Managing Director of SeaBees Diving Phuket who is also fluent in English, provided to The Phuket Newsthis exact translation:

Hello My Darling,

I am very happy to be spending the day with you.It is not only my birthday but also that we celebrate 11 months together.11 months together with 11 incredible days in Thailand. As a sign of our luck and love and as a memory of this holiday, I want to place this message in a bottle for both of us.

Conny and Giusi

The note was dated “07.03.2015”.


“We believe ‘Giusi’ is short for Giuseppe,” added Simone Allene, PR & Marketing Manager at Sea Bees, who facilitated the translation.

“I’m quite surprised they didn’t include an email,” said Mark. “Just in case someone found it and wanted in touch with them. If the girl saw a photo of it, I’m sure she would recognize it.”

Mark still has the note – and the bottle. Anyone who recognises it is welcome to contact him

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/new-zealand-expat-unearths-a-phuket-message-in-a-bottle-54367.php

-- Phuket News 2015-10-04

[NickJ]

Come on.....I could understand if it was dated a bit older....What next ? Somchai Heart Ethel spray painted on a wall with the paint still wet.........

[lemonjelly]

Hey, Lite Beer, I found some messages on some of my students' desks, some of which date back to last year. I'll keep you updated, just have to get them translated first.

[grumpyoldman]

Come on.....I could understand if it was dated a bit older....What next ? Somchai Heart Ethel spray painted on a wall with the paint still wet.........

You missed the boat Nick, hurry on now !

[NCC1701A]

The note was dated “07.03.2015”?

snooze...

i have a note here from my Thai girlfriend telling me not to be a butterfly. does that count for anything?

Edited October 4, 2015 by NCC1701A

[macahoom]

I've just wasted two minutes of my life reading this non-story.

[Old Croc]

The note was dated “07.03.2015”?

snooze...

i have a note here from my Thai girlfriend telling me not to be a butterfly. does that count for anything?

Nah.

It's only news if accompanied by a tangible threat of penectomy.

[grumpyoldman]

Opens the door for a lot of bored a** troll w***kers to post.

[vogie]

Do The Police holiday there?

[Happy Grumpy]

I found some messages on some of my students' desks, some of which date back to last year. I'll keep you updated, just have to get them translated first.

I wouldn't bother. They probably only say He-uw khao.

[oxo1947]

I have read older (and more interesting ) messages of toilet walls................................

[Duvidl]

Slow news day.

[zaphod reborn]

If we circulate the story on Thai social media, I'm certain it will go viral. But the poor German couple may get a inquiry from the Phuket police that they offended some obscure Thai custom.

[jimstar1]

Yep Toilet Wall Older and more Interesting Move along nothing to see here

[scorecard]

Do The Police holiday there?

Yeah, maybe they could claim a reward?

[Nobb]

Great message but Thai women only when you have money. But when you leave it is a sorry Charly! Never fall in love in Thailand!

[kuiburi]

Sure he is from New Zealand ? Not see doublesized boots on him , or maybe no sheep in phuket .

[Ulic]

Giuseppe should be fined for littering.

[Mudcrab]

Opens the door for a lot of bored a** troll w***kers to post.

Congratulations on being the first.

[gyrosman]

So, a fool throws a bottle in the waters in Phuket hoping his Love finds it before it smashes into someone's head. I wish I found it and it had the fools address on it. I be happy to return it my way.

[Wombat6]

Do The Police holiday there?

Yeah, maybe they could claim a reward?

They would have to get an arrest warrant (is they could found out the names of the people involved)..charged for Littering .

[simon43]

The note was dated “07.03.2015”...

Come on.....I could understand if it was dated a bit older

That's a Thai date!

So subtract 543 and you get 1472

[overherebc]

Is it the 7th of March or the 3rd of July ? Someone form a committee to sort this out.

[wornoutcowboy]

It must be a very slow day for news. Damn, dull story.

[grumpyoldman]

Opens the door for a lot of bored a** troll w***kers to post.

Congratulations on being the first.

Oh ouch, such a witty retort (not). I think post #2 beat me to it there Jesus mudcrab.