Published on January 13, 2005

Volunteers have flown in from around the world to help rebuild Bang Tao, a small beach community between Phuket airport and the Patong beach resort.

Bang Tao has about 100 families and 50 or so small and medium-sized businesses. These are heavily reliant on tourism, which ground to a halt after the tsunami ripped a swathe through the coastal settlement.

About 20 people died here – far fewer than at Kamala beach just south, where about 100 were killed, or the heavily built-up Patong, where hundreds died.

With most of the reconstruction and clean-up work focused on Khao Lak and other sites of much greater devastation further north, such as the Baan Nam Khem fishing village, residents in Bang Tao have struggled to repair the damage themselves.

But American Mike Cegielski, who lives at Kata Beach and in a small hotel in Bang Tao, has got the place moving. Cegielski, 42, runs Office Xpress, which specialises in business development.

He drew up the Bang Tao Recovery Project – then appealed via the Laguna hotel’s website for volunteers to help. His plan is to get the settlement revamped and ready for tourists by the end of the month.

“We’re rebuilding the eco-system,” he said. “That’s ‘eco’ as in economy.

“We think that if we help the businesses here restart, at some point tourism will kick in again. So we’re trying to get the place presentable for February 1 – Chinese New Year – so tourists can come here and have a good vacation.”

The main resort here is the Best Western, which was damaged, but remains structurally intact, he added.

“We need partners to come in – both big and small fish. Some owners of the smaller properties will take partners to help rebuild their businesses.”

Meanwhile, word spread about his appeal for volunteers, with about 12 people a day showing up to lend a hand.

“Right now we’ve got 30 local and international volunteers,” Cegielski said. “They’re being put up for free at the Andaman Seaview Resort, which is run by the Srikurejas, a Pakistani Sikh family, who are very understanding of the situation.

“We have no power or water, but the volunteers have come to clean up the community. We want to get buildings closed in, so they can be locked up and fixed later.”

Gail Evertz arrived on Sunday from Manhattan in New York City and began work on Monday, as she describes it “with a hammer and shovel all day”.

“I saw it on the Net. I contacted the Red Cross and they couldn’t help, so I did it on my own. I got a ticket, and I rang Mike.”

She took vacation time from her work at Guggenheim Partners and brought three big duffel bags of carpentry equipment.

“I thought I can’t arrive empty-handed. So I went to Home Depot and my friends paid for me to buy wrench sets, drills, hammers, adapters, carpenters’ belts, goggles, box cutters, etc.”

Jason Snailham, 36, came with a group of English mates from Pathfinder, an ex-military and civilian group of parachute enthusiasts.

“I thought ‘there’s work to be done’. We’ve taken over from an original team of National Guardsmen and fire-fighters from Alaska, who were here for 10 days.”

He introduces Ian Marshall, 50, a parachute instructor who lives near Gatwick.

“Somebody asked and I said yeah – it’s hard to say no,” Marshall said, smiling. “This tsunami hit the world – it shocked the world.

“Most people feel helpless. The British public donated over £100 million [Bt7.2 billion] in 10 days, which is phenomenal.

“But I’m very sceptical about charities. I thought I’d prefer to put 100 per cent in myself.”

They came with another friend – Maamar Ferkoun, from Hong Kong, who coordinates Pathfinder jumps in Asia, and has jumped with the Thai Special Forces.

Other volunteers include young Aussies, an Irishman and more British. “It’s kinda like the global village,” Cegielski said.

Jim Pollard

The Nation

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