Tidal waves in Thailand

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Hello,
what is happening with the Wilderness Adventure Tour through Thailand on the 8th of January???

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Does this affect the Bangkok to Singapore trip leaving January 6, 2005?

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Hi all,
We've had assessments of the situation in Krabi where our groups stay and all will be back to normal within a day or so. The water options, ie longtail boat trips to the outer islands, sea kayaking etc will be fully operational within two days. Our groups will continue to travel to Krabi/Ao Nang as per the individual itineraries.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and concerns.

Craig Roach
Destination Manager
South East Asia (Bangkok)
The Imaginative Traveller

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Hi me again,
In regards to the Wilderness Adventure 08 Jan and the Bangkok to Singapore 06 Jan, both tours will be running as normal. We don't envisage any problems in running al our tours as per their itineraries.

Cheers
Craig Roach
Destination Manager
South East Asia - Bangkok
The Imaginative Traveller

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

What is about the new waves that are coming up, and the concern about health problems in the area around Krabi???

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Are you offering refunds on tours that run through the affected areas? I'm on the Jan 06 Bangkok to Sinagpore tour. I think cancelling my trip, or at least postponing it, would be wise at this time. Please advise!

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

I was having the same thoughts regarding the 13 Jan trip from Bangkok to Singapore. Is there an option just to refund at this point? I am not really happy about travelling there at such an unknown time when no-one really knows what will happen regarding shockwaves and disease.

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

At this point I would really like to know now what is happening to the tour and if I can still cancel the tour... I don't really want to do this tour, and we all don't get an answer here what is going to happen!!!!

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

I'm booked for the Best of Thailand, January 15th, and I was wondering the same. Will there be water, supplies, and will it be safe enough to travel there while they're putting everything back together again?

Will you be offering refunds, or alternate dates?

I do still want to do the tour, but the news reports from reuters and CNN are making me more than a little nervous, with 2000 dead in Thailand that they've found so far and reports of looting happening.

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Hello Everyone,

I'm not employed by Im Trav but just thought I would at least try to answer what I can.

I believe that you haven't had any replies as yet because the office in England is closed for the Xmas/New Year holidays. Please be patient as I believe you will have all your concerns dealt with as soon as the office opens again. Other than that I am unable to give advise as I am totally in the dark being in Australia. Hope I haven't stepped over the boundary here!!

Please hang in there, all the best.........Debbie.

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Hi,
Debbie is correct. The Imtrav office is closed until the new year. I'm based in Thailand and I have not only two Tour Leaders in the area I also have two groups! They are staying in two separate hotels in Ao Nang in Krabi and are cpletely safe. The area has been totally cleaned up and options such as sea-kayaking and longtails boat trips will resume today or tomorrow. My wife, staff and I all live in Thailand and our hearts go out to the people effected by this enormous tragedy but from where I sit I think you could probably do more to help them by coming. Krabi is only a very small part of the Wilderness Adventure, Bangkok to Singapore and Best of Thailand and the fact that we havetwo groups in Ao Nang currently suggests that this area isn't as badly hit as CNN or BBC would suggest. I'm sure anyone interested in cancelling will be officially informed in the next few days but talking to other tour operators in Bangkok yesterday the consensus seems to be one of no refunds.

Please be patient.

Craig Roach
DEstination Manager
South East Asia
The Imaginative Traveller

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Sorry.... I forgot to mention that there is very little chance of infectous diseases hitting the effected areas in Thailand, there is an abundance of fresh water supplies and services. The infrastructure here is very good and the Thai Government and military are doing a great job coordinating with all aid organisations.

Craig Roach

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

To Jerbaa,
Your tour is definitely departing on its orignal date and at this stage with no change to the itinerary. I have already mentioned your tour as departing on shcedule.

Craig Roach

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

That's excellent and I'm glad to hear it. I was hoping that the news reports were being a little over sensational. As they often can be. I appreciate that you took the time to answer our concerns and I continue to look forwards to that trip!

Good luck, and happy new year.

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Let me begin by saying that my prayers are with those who have been directly or indirectly affected by this tragedy. I'd also like to point out that I have been looking forward *immensely* to taking my upcoming trip - Bangkok to Singapore, Jan 13.

I've been watching with interest this discussion and others on these forums over the last few days. Now that an official position has been posted, I feel compelled to contribute.

I must say that I am both amazed and disappointed at the policy Imaginative Traveler have adopted; that of no refunds and no itinerary changes, even in Sri Lanka and other terribly affected areas. From calls I have made locally to various travel agencies I have found Imaginative Traveler to be one of a tiny minority of companies who are not offering re-routing, postponement or refunds as a matter of course.

My friend and I shall not be traveling on our booked trip.

My reasons for refusing to continue with the planned itinerary are multifaceted. I am concerned about my own health, with reputable media agencies and international experts predicting dramatically increased risk of illness in all effected and surrounding regions, including Krabi. I am concerned about the 'holiday' nature of the trip changing vastly. But, importantly, I am equally concerned about the strain that a continued influx of tourists will have on the already strained infrastructure in the region and the terrible disrespect that a tourist coming for a 'holiday in paradise' would embody to mourners across the region. I think it was said best by some people who are having this same discussion regarding the Sri Lanka trips on another forum in this site. Affected areas in the region are now the site of the biggest natural disaster in living memory and IMHO it smacks of utter disrespect to show up as tourists at this time.

Unfortunately the argument that continuing to travel to the effected areas would be good for the people there on balance because of the financial impact does not outweigh my above arguments against going.

The Australian Government is asking all citizens with plans to travel to affected areas to consider not only the risk to themselves but the strain they will place on resources which could otherwise be going towards feeding, nourishing and housing those people whose lives have been thrown into such disarray. Not only are they discouraging travelers from going to the region, they are encouraging those there to return home unless they are there to volunteer. That's not to mention the Department of Foreign Affairs' warnings (based on UN and WHO warnings) about the increased risk of waterborne and mosquito-borne illnesses. I'm guessing most governments around the world have adopted a similar stance.

I respect the existence and local knowledge of the ground operatives Imaginative Traveler have in the regions in question but cannot reconcile the policy being put forward here with the contradictory policies of airlines and tour groups around the world. Surely such groups are in just as strong a position with regard to local knowledge.

I also cannot reconcile Imaginative Traveler's representatives' expectations of zero effect in terms of illness and the like with those of expert medical professionals who are constantly reassessing the situation and coming to alternate conclusions. Nor do I see the existence of tourists in the region at the moment as testament to the safety or appropriateness of continuing as planned.

I would greatly appreciate a response as to why Imaginative Traveler has adopted the policy they have chosen, with regard to my points above. Has the full impact of bringing more people into, or immediately near effected areas been considered in developing this policy, especially from the perspective of said people's consumption of resources which might otherwise go to the now homeless and destitute, wherever they are in the general vicinity? Why are customers not being offered the choice of opting to continue, postpone, re-rout or refund? What sources aside from operatives on the ground (who may not be medical or crisis experts) have been consulted in deciding to not divert itineraries away from affected areas?

Thanks for reading this long-winded post. I look forward to your response.

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Jesse: Thank you so much for your post and for expressing so eloquently many of the things that have been running through my mind over the last few days. I have written privately to the Managing Director of the Imaginative Traveller as well as the Destination Manager in SE Asia.

I was supposed to be on the Bangkok to Singapore tour departing January 6, 2005. I have been working with my travel agent to defer my travel arrangements for a couple of months. The health risks associated with travelling through SE Asia right now are a major concern for me. Further, travelling through a region trying to cope with a disaster of this magnitude would indeed take away the

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Jesse, I am sure that your comments are well-intentioned and obviously it is your decision whether or not you wish to travel but I can

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

This is clearly a subject on which many people hold very strong views.
I do not think it will be particularly constructive to enter into a

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Thanks to all for their contributions.

Betty, it is in no way my intention to make people feel guilty for not sharing my views. At the time of my post I had simply not heard any mention of the factors I put forward by any participant in this discussion. This situation has affected me deeply and the emotive language I used should signify that only; not my intention to change anyone's opinion.

I 100% agree with you Betty that it should be every person's right to choose whether they wish to continue or not. This is indeed my argument in a nutshell. But we are not truly being offered that right - we are being penalized if we choose to opt out.

I have carefully considered the benefit of ongoing tourism to those not directly affected, and the issue of pride vs. charity which you put forward, both of which are strong points.

I'm also glad to find that some of what I said is in line with some of what others are thinking, such as Chrissy.

I appreciate your detailed description of the process followed, Martin. As I say above, I respect that I have less knowledge of the countries in question than your local contacts. My decision yesterday was based on the balance of all information available, including that provided by your contacts.

I will be contacting my local office today to discuss the possibilities which are open to me. I may post what I find here for those also wishing to consider other options.

I hope everyone gets to go on the trip they ultimately want to, whether now or in future.

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Goodday to everyone out there who is concerned about the current situation in Thailand.

I'm a tourleader working for a Imaginative Traveller Thailand. I have just returned from Ao Nang, Krabi where I have arrived with my tour on Sunday just before the wave struck. I was actually there when it happended and spend four days after the accident there. I can assure you all that Ao Nang is perfectly safe and everything is returning back to normal. Me and my group even went sea kayaking on Wednesday. The Thai's are doing a great job in cleaning up the beaches. Structural damage in Ao Nang is absolutely minimal and shops is been doing business as usual since Tuesday.

I heard all the rumours about second waves and earthquakes coming, health disasters, trains that have been washed away...(I can go on for ages). None of these are true! Even in Phuket things are back on schedule, it is only the small region of Patong that was destroyed. I have seen reports that is been screening on BBC and warnings by the UN that has been posted recently. It is all big stories - places like Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India have been hit hard, but not Thailand. There is no chance of the drinking water being affected or diseases breaking out.

I see no reason why our tours have to be cancelled or our intinaries to be changed. Ao Nang is completely safe and the best thing you can do to help these people is to come here and to keep the economy running. Everyone backing out and cancelling their holidays in Thailand is doing more damage economically, than the wave did.

So pack your suitcase and come and experience the resilience of the Thai's first hand!

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Hi, I've been folowing this discussion with interest and share the same sentiments as all; my heart goes out to everyone affected by this terrible disaster. Collectively you have raised my serious concerns for my impending participation in the Bangkok- Singapore tour which departs 6 Jan.

For the past 6 weeks I've been travelling around Southeast Asia independently and am due to return to Bangkok early next week to join the tour. Apart from watching the endless reports on CNN, I'm finding it quite difficult to find reliable, accurate, sources of information out here from which I can begin to make an informed decision on what to do.

The area that I'm most concerned about travelling to is of course Krabi. I accept and don't question Martin's statement that The Imaginative Traveller has: "a responsibility not to put clients or staff members in harm's way or expose them to undue risk". However, what is of greater concern to me is how the mourning residents of Krabi will feel about our presence.

There is undoubtedly a sense of impropriety attached to the idea of holidaying in a region so recently struck by the worst natural disaster this century. It was mentioned in an earlier post by Craig Roach that in the area where our group will stay in Krabi: "all will be back to normal in a day or so." This may be so for us- the tourists- but is this at the expense of not allowing Krabi adequate time to grieve for it's losses?

As strongly as I don't want to risk conveying disrespect by visiting Krabi as a tourist so soon; I realise, as many of you do, that postponing travel to the whole of Thailand will create economic suffering for those communities that weren't initially effected by the disaster. They need tourism now more than ever before because their livelyhoods depend on it. I know, this is also true for those employed by tourism in Krabi but, for the near future at least, I can't see how our presence there would be enjoyable for us or them in light of what's just happened; despite the monetary benefits for the region.

I'm in a dilemma over what to do, as I'm sure you all are. This dilemma would be greatly lessened if The Imaginative Traveller was able to provide us with more options. Is there no possibility of re-routing the tour around Krabi?

I apologise if I've simply echoed what has already
been posted, I'm just trying to figure out what is the best thing to do, for myself, and for the region's people.

Thanks for all your opinions and thoughts, they're very helpful.

I hope there is a solution!

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Hi,
Well we've had our two groups returning from Krabi and several dozen clients arriving into Bangkok for their tours starting today and tomorrow. The tour leaders who had groups in Krabi during and immediately afterwards have reported everything as being fine and almost back to normal. The two major options our groups participate in down there are sea-kayaking and the 4 Island tour, both these activities are now operating once again. There is no shortage of drinking water. The Thai infrastructure is MORE than coping with the disaster. The mission has now moved from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. Our latest report on Phuket suggests that only Patong Beach was severly hit and that the majority of locales on Phuket are now functioning as normal.

I spoke last night to an Australian doctor who volunteered his services at Krabi Hospital. He worked feverishly for three straight days helping Thais and foreigners alike. Yesterday he returned to Bangkok because he was told that there was no longer any need for volunteers in the area. He met with one of our groups 'Thailand Encompassed' travelling to Krabi tonight and we had a bit of a Q & A about how they could help and what they could do. He suggested donating blood or money to the Red Cross. This person, Dr Alan Griskiatis IS a medical professional and HAS been to the region to do all he can.

I have received my information not only from my staff in the area but from professional people dealing with the situation. I have been in contact with the Australian consular mission on Phuket, Dr Alan mentioned above, local hotel owners, boat operators, travel agents, our clients. I also have 13 years experience in emergency and disaster relief (before working for Imaginative Traveller) If I thought for an instant there was any risk to my great Tour Leaders or to our wonderful clients I would never let anyone anywhere near Krabi. What these people need now is YOUR support. The groups returning from Krabi actually feel that they have helped in some way by supporting the locals in their time of need. We cannot desert them now. I can only honestly speak for Krabi in Thailand, I cannot offer my opinion of events in Sri Lanka or India basically because I am not there and after seeing how BBC and CNN are portraying events in Thailand I can only hope they are exaggerating as much in Sri Lanka and India as much as they are doing here.

I'm not sure what else I can say. I even have a client on a tour in Cambodia who wants to cancel because the trip starts in Bangkok and they are frightened they will come into contact with SICK people...........

Please come and see for yourself.

Craig Roach
Destination Manager
South East Asia
The Imaginative Traveller

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

Dear all,
I came to Thailand and did a Imaginative Traveller trip, then another in Laos and yet another in Cambodia and have since decided to live in Thailand for the next year or so. I have often made comments in this forum and hope they have been helpful to those considering coming here.

My heart goes out to all those families and friends affected by the tidal waves. Where I now live in Bangkok there is not one person who has not been touched by this disaster. I was on the Surin Islands (near Phuket) when the wave struck. My girlfriend was washed out to sea and I was thrown into the nearby jungle. A fisherman who had lost his wife and daughter had helped pull my girlfriend to a nearby rock to await rescue then continued looking for his family. I spent a few more days helping around Phuket etc and wanted to get a better idea of what was happening. I could not believe what I was watching on television compared to the reality on the streets of Phuket. Apart from the devastation I saw on Patong Beach the damage has barely reached 50 metres from the beach... All the rest is fine! Thailand is an amazing place and the Thai government are very quick and professional in their handling of national disasters. The medical and emergency infrastructure here in place is handling the situation well. Most of the injured western nationals have been flown to Bangkok and/or out of the country. There is absolutely no reason NOT to come to visit Thailand. These people in my adopted home need your support. It seems there are people on this forum who are actually using the suffering of these people just to get a refund, how dare you use this disaster as an excuse to get out of your obligations. If you don't want to come then good but don't try to manipulate other people with your unfounded over dramatised opinions.

Anyway, those still coming to Thailand will enjoy the part they will play in helping these beautiful people recover from this tragedy. The others..... don't use the mourning of these people as an excuse.

Yours
Don Suz

Re: Tidal waves in Thailand

My name is Bob and I am a Tour Leader with Imtrav. My group and I were in Penang when the earthquake hit Georgtown amd yes, buildings did sway.

We continued to Ao Nang on Boxing Day and leave today to Bangkok. I can really only talk about Ao Nang as I have been here for a few days now.

As Adel and others have said - most of the damage was comparitvely minor in Ao Nang and the local authorities have worked hard and tirelessly to try and get back to some sort of normalcy.

I have quite a few friends here and I it is fair to say that they and their friends want tourists to keep coming. Most people do not know that this is the peak season and that the off season is not far away. If tourists cancel then the local business's here (and their local staff) will simply go broke! Ao Nang relies on making enough money in High season to carry them for the other six months of the low season.

There are options available (some longtail boats have been repaired) and locals want to work to help them come to terms with the tragedy.

I appreciate the genuine concerns about the perceived crassness of tourists coming here straight after the disaster but each individual traveller has to make their own decision.

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Hello, thank you so much for all the helpful information posted since I left my message (I posted it before I had a chance to read Adele's). It's really reassuring to hear in-depth reports on the improving situation which, as you say, doesn't sound to be anywhere near as bad as what is being reported by the media.

Don Suz, good to hear you and your girlfriend escaped uninjured; you must feel very lucky indeed and I hope you've both fully recovered. I don't think anybody on this forum is "using the suffering of these people just to get a refund". As far as I can see everyone's primary concern (despite the possible misjudgents involved) was to avoid increasing the suffereing.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you all for answering my concerns so swiftly, and I'll be doing everything I can to help when I return to Bangkok. Friends in Thailand have told me that the authorities are asking for blood donations because apparently Thai blood doesn't always match that of the many tourists that need it. If anyone knows of anything else we can do to help please post it!

Kate