Intriguing Eyewitness Report from Phuket, Thailand

[Union Thug]

Tsunami update from an ILWU mailing list I'm on. Please forgive the spelling, I'm cutting and pasting directly from the e-mail:

Hi,If anybody has heard any news of this on cnn or otherwise let me know what you heard.The rumors here are changing hourly.I've heard 21 people dead here on the 2 beachs closest to me Kata And Karon ,and then I heard over 100 at Patong Bach.The road over there has been closed today,but I have seen total destruction at the 3 beachs I saw today.I've shot 4 rolls of film,so hopefully I can get them printed and scanned and I'll send them out.I'm sur the some people at the resturant I WAS going to eat at must be dead.Its totally destroyed,and where I always sat was in the front row on the beach.Also when I went there about 2 hours after,I didn't see anybody that works there,so I have a bad feeling about it.Kathleen,is the place right on Kata beach at the end with the great viewwhere we ate many times.Its gone.So what I first saw at the other resturant I was eating at,about 2 blocks from the beach,I thought that everyone was fleeing because it was coming but in fact it had already came with NO warning.One guy who I talked to was on Kata Beach when it hit said that all of a sudden all the water left the bay,and all the boats,maybe 40 all layed over on their sides as all the water was gone.This guy knew what was coming and he grabbed his wife and ran like hell for the hill behind the resturant.He was freaked out when I talked to him.His hotel is,on the 1st level destroyed as are all the hotels on the beachs and thats MANY,many.I don't know where all these displaced people will go.Also I am supposed to go to ko Lanta,Cobley if you read this email me as all Phones are out.Let me know if our hotel is still standimg.Ko Pepe,was destroyed and I am supposed to transfer there to another boat to Ko lanta.I went to the travel agent bought my boat tickets but it destroyed.Most everything is closed,but alot of bars are open.But I think things will open more now as there was supposed to be another tidal wave,everybody was on high ground at the great lookout spots waiting.I waited 3 hours and gave up.Ok for now. MOre later.

[Squatch]

1. Scary

[Blue Gardener]

2. Thanks for the report

I am glad you are safe.

[BurtWorm]

3. If I saw "all of the water leave the bay,"

I wonder if I'd have the sense not to sit still and stare but run like hell for high ground. I'm afraid I would sit and stare. It's a wonder that anyone has the presence of mind--or adrenalin--to get the fuck out of there!

[TheDebbieDee]

8. If I had seen all the water leave the bay......

I wouldn't have had a clue!!!!! I'd have stood there trying to figure out what was going on and then my non-swimming a$$ would have been swept away by the big wave.

[babylonsister]

4. Here's some pix I just got, re: Thailand

http://www.thailand-photos.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=523&ppuser=&password=

[Squatch]

5. I hate to be glib, but there sure are a lot of Italian restaraunts on

Phuket, aren't there?

[Squatch]

6. And 7-11?

Surprising. But not a surprising as seeing WalMart in the Argentine countryside.

[Squatch]

7. The picture of the Waverunner is quite ironic.

[Lisa0825]

9. I am waiting to hear from someone who was vacationing there...

She's a member of another list I am on. If you get any further updates, I'd appreciate seeing them.

Thanks.