PHUKET, Thailand (8 Jan 2005) -- Phi Phi means "many ghosts" in Thai, and never was the meaning more appropriate for an island where countless bodies now lie under the rubble. When visitors land, officials insist they use nasal inhalers and face masks. The menthol inhalers are meant to stem the smell of human corpses, which becomes apparent as soon as you step ashore. Every year, thousands of British backpackers visit Phi Phi Island, drawn by the stunning location where Hollywood recreated Alex Garland's novel The Beach on nearby Phi Phi Lay - a smaller relative of the main island. From the flat white beaches you see nothing but mile upon mile of the Andaman Sea. Looking out to sea now, it is impossible not to shudder at the thought of that strange white-tipped wave coming in over the horizon on Boxing Day morning. "Yesterday we found two bodies. Today, none yet," says Mitchai Anantanasakul, who is in charge of the search teams on the island. "When we started, we were recovering bodies from the beaches. We have found nearly 700. Now we need to bring in dogs to help us find bodies under the buildings. "I have to rotate my men every three days, otherwise it will make them go mad." The series of tsunami waves struck both sides of the island. An island diver, who used to take tourists to see the colourful coral and exotic fish around the shoreline, told how he ran from the beach at the sight of the tsunami, only to see another coming towards him when he reached the opposite side. "I knew something was wrong when I saw the water disappear from the beach. I shouted to the tourists to run," said Anusith Wangmuang, 24. "I ran about a mile to the other side but there was a wave coming in from that side as well. "I climbed on to the roof of a building. As the water rose I swam to a coconut tree and held on. I pulled three people towards me and they held on too. There were so many people in the water." Amid the rubble, signs of the delights of the holiday island are still apparent. One tiny street is filled with shops, damaged beyond repair, which once sold jewellery, clothes, swimwear, CDs and day trips to other islands. | | Koh Phi Phi before the tsunami...Koh Phi Phi after the tsunami. Thai rescue workers carry away another dead body... The Irish pub is standing, as are pieces of the Phi Phi Hotel, including a Happy New Year sign in the entrance lobby. Plates and cups lie scattered near the swimming pool. A menu for Christmas lunch hangs on the tree nearby. Someone was apparently reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Other books, by Fay Weldon and Andy McNab, lie abandoned. Phi Phi is a 50-minute boat-ride from Phuket. Before the tsunami, at least 10 boats a day left Phuket bearing tourists to the island. No one goes now. This small region of Thailand, from Phuket to Krabi to Khao Lak, all resorts popular with western visitors, is expected to lose £13 million a month in depleted tourism. Strangely, Maya Bay, the beach which was The Beach, was almost untouched by the tsunami. Three small yachts are anchored there, their crews appearing to enjoy the now peaceful surroundings. |
