Life back to normal in fishing village


A WHOLE new village has sprung up in Ban Nai Rai, in Phang Nga Province. "Civilisation" has returned to this one-time thriving fishing village wiped out by the tsunami of December 2004.

This village of about 100 families, comprising 400 people, was the worst hit area in Ban Nai Rai when the tsunami struck.

It is literally on the doorstep of the open sea, and almost 90 per cent of the villagers depend on fishing for a living.

Life was hard, but they were happy as they could make enough to feed their families. But all the little they had and their happiness were washed away by the tsunami.

Today, life is back to normal, thanks to the NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) from the various countries of the world. The Methodist Church in Singapore, the Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand, YWAM, Rotary International, World Vision and other organisations engaged in medical and relief work and provided assistance, in cash and kind, to the villagers.

Today, the village is dotted with pretty new houses, some on high stilts, that look like two-storey homes.

A tsunami evacuation sign board with the Tsunami Warning System tower behind it at the back.


Today, the solitary road winding its way into the village that ends at sea is filled with the sound of chatter and laughter again from the children and womenfolk.


Today, the men are back at sea doing what they know best - catching fish, prawns, squids and crabs.


There is now a new Community Hall for the villagers to gather for an event or to meet for a chat.


There is even a Tsunami Warning System tower, and the road has prominent sign boards indicating the direction and distances to the Evacuation Centre.


Life, it seems, is good again, but the villagers these days are more cautious and watchful of the sea. A fisherman told Methodist Message: "We don't know what can happen again. Better be careful."

Villagers socialising at a track at the edge of a creek leading into the open sea.

The road leading into the village. Note the new houses on both sides of the road.