For the past two weeks we have traveled along Thailand’s Andaman Sea coastline. Many parts of this area were devastated during the 2004 tsunami, and about 5,000 people in the area died. Coming here, we wondered if we would see any signs of damage from the disaster. As it turns out, most areas we visited have been completely rebuilt. Perhaps fewer trees, but otherwise unmarked to our new-to-Thailand eyes.
The one consistent marker that lets us know the tsunami affected this area is the blue and white evacuation route sign. These signs are posted along the beach and along paths, and direct people to safe evacuation areas.
Out of curiosity, we followed the evacuations signs on Ko Kradan to see where they led. Since we were staying in the interior of the island, we followed the signs backwards from the evacuation area along the path towards the beach. And here’s what we found:
Ko Kradan evacuation route blocked
The path was blocked by several felled trees. Detritus from a storm? No – upon a closer look, it was clear the trees had been cut down:
Felled trees blocking tsunami evacuation route
As we got closer to the beach, we climbed over several other felled trees. And then came the biggest surprise of all: the gates from the beach leading to the evacuation route were locked.
There are two signed entry points that direct people inland from the beach. The first is blocked by a group of transportation vendors selling boat rides to the mainland and other islands. If you look closely, you can see a handwritten cardboard sign that reads “No Entry”. We climbed out from a hole in the fence behind the desk.
Vendors blocking evacuation route entrance
The second entrance gate is padlocked shut (note the arrow on the sign):
Padlocked evacuation gate on Ko Kradan
Both entry gates are next to the Anantara Resort property, though no one onsite could explain why the gates were locked, or the route blocked. The property is under development, and apparently has been in a half-finished state for a couple years.
According to their website, Anantara means “without end”. An ironic meaning for an evacuation route with no beginning. I wonder if Anantara is aware that these blockages may be endangering the residents and visitors of Ko Kradan?
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Allie, you could be an investigative journalist for the LA Times. (Or the San Francisco Chronicle).
Donald