MAI LAI, Thailand (AFX) - Villagers in some areas along Thailand's coast devastated by last week's tsunami feel they are largely being ignored by relief operations which have focused on areas popular with foreign tourists, Agence France-Presse reported.
Emergency workers, soldiers and volunteers have been combing through wreckage of the ruined tourist strip in Khao Lak in Phang Nga province, where tourists are among thousands of people killed last Sunday.
But in the Muslim village of Mai Lai less than 30 kilometres to the south, the rescue and recovery efforts have been meager, villagers said.
"We desperately need more money," Wantana Phongsangwan, one of the coordinators of locally-donated aid, said.
"What we have now has been given to us by generous people in the area, but there is still only enough for about 500 baht for each house," she said.
"We were very lucky. Of about 175 houses, 170 were destroyed but the town suffered very little loss of life," she said as she gathered together relief packets of rice, cooking oil and soap.
"But this means we now have a lot of people without homes or anything who need urgent help."
Wantana said officials had visited the town, which subsists on fishing and rubber tapping, on the day after the tsunami but little help had arrived.
Thailand's confirmed tsunami death toll has neared 5,000, with almost half of them tourists. In Phang Nga, 3,950 people including 2,210 foreigners have been confirmed dead, mostly in Khao Lak, an up-and-coming resort enclave where thousands of Westerners were vacationing when the waves struck.
To the north of Khao Lak, police at the fishing town of Baan Nam Khem estimate that more than half the population of 5,000 is missing and feared dead.
Fishing boats were swept through the town and onto the rooftops of destroyed homes. Whole families were washed away and until recently survivors received little assistance.
"A man from here rang the television station on Wednesday and he told them (the town has been) destroyed but no one has come to help us," said a Baan Nam Khem fisherman who identified himself as Nopporn.
Help eventually arrived yesterday, in the form of an earth-moving machine to clear an area for an emergency shelter, he said.
On Phuket, the popular tourist island whose western beach resorts were hit by the series of huge waves, Thai Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula denied emergency efforts were focusing most of their efforts on foreigners.
"It is not true," Bhokin said. "I have been to Nam Khem for three consecutive days and we are mobilizing right now to do more."
"But what we have to do with tourists is build confidence because when these areas come up every place will come up," he said, referring to the area's overall dependence on tourism.
Premier Thaksin Shinawatra has announced his intention to help affected parts of the tourism industry by providing special low-interest loans, among other measures.
jb/mlm/sm/br/swp
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Emergency workers, soldiers and volunteers have been combing through wreckage of the ruined tourist strip in Khao Lak in Phang Nga province, where tourists are among thousands of people killed last Sunday.
But in the Muslim village of Mai Lai less than 30 kilometres to the south, the rescue and recovery efforts have been meager, villagers said.
"We desperately need more money," Wantana Phongsangwan, one of the coordinators of locally-donated aid, said.
"What we have now has been given to us by generous people in the area, but there is still only enough for about 500 baht for each house," she said.
"We were very lucky. Of about 175 houses, 170 were destroyed but the town suffered very little loss of life," she said as she gathered together relief packets of rice, cooking oil and soap.
"But this means we now have a lot of people without homes or anything who need urgent help."
Wantana said officials had visited the town, which subsists on fishing and rubber tapping, on the day after the tsunami but little help had arrived.
Thailand's confirmed tsunami death toll has neared 5,000, with almost half of them tourists. In Phang Nga, 3,950 people including 2,210 foreigners have been confirmed dead, mostly in Khao Lak, an up-and-coming resort enclave where thousands of Westerners were vacationing when the waves struck.
To the north of Khao Lak, police at the fishing town of Baan Nam Khem estimate that more than half the population of 5,000 is missing and feared dead.
Fishing boats were swept through the town and onto the rooftops of destroyed homes. Whole families were washed away and until recently survivors received little assistance.
"A man from here rang the television station on Wednesday and he told them (the town has been) destroyed but no one has come to help us," said a Baan Nam Khem fisherman who identified himself as Nopporn.
Help eventually arrived yesterday, in the form of an earth-moving machine to clear an area for an emergency shelter, he said.
On Phuket, the popular tourist island whose western beach resorts were hit by the series of huge waves, Thai Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula denied emergency efforts were focusing most of their efforts on foreigners.
"It is not true," Bhokin said. "I have been to Nam Khem for three consecutive days and we are mobilizing right now to do more."
"But what we have to do with tourists is build confidence because when these areas come up every place will come up," he said, referring to the area's overall dependence on tourism.
Premier Thaksin Shinawatra has announced his intention to help affected parts of the tourism industry by providing special low-interest loans, among other measures.
jb/mlm/sm/br/swp
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com
© 2005 AFX News
