List of surviving staff, resort and shop
owners of Khao Lak, updated on 14 March, 2014
... and their situation today
Phuket:
Mr. Roth (taxi driver) - Had to sell one minibus, but
later bought a new one and drives it as carefully as ever
Khaolak South:
Owners and all staff (Poseidon) - Poseidon is running
very well
Fadah and all the staff
(Merlin Resort)
- The resort is thriving and considered one of the best
resorts in Thailand
Khun Yutthana and most staff (Emerald) - Part of the resort
became living quarters for temporary Burmese workers, now a resort again
Scandy Tailor (in front of Seagull Andaman Resort) = Mr Dev. and his family
is ok
Some staff survived in La Briza
Sunset Beach:
The owner Khun Chermsak, the manager Khun Bibi (Sunset Resort)
- Khun Bibi was thrown out by her parents and lives in
Hua Hin
The owner Khun Virat (Palm Beach) - He recovered and married
his former wife's sister who manages the business successfully
Most staff survived (Paradise Resort) -
Paradise Resort was
rebuilt almost identically, not improved from past mistakes
The owner Khun Jum and most staff, 8 of them with severe injuries
(Khao Lak Resort)
- Khun Jum rebuilt with more expensive bungalows
Nang Thong Beach - Resorts:
The owner Giorgio (Similana Park Resort) - He continues
his business in Phuket, finally sold the ruins of Similana Park Resort
which became a new resort of an owner from Phuket
The owner Khun Lek (Bhandari, Khaolak Laguna) - Khun Lek
has rebuilt
Bhandari Resort
almost identical in the fabulous Thai style
Khun Jo, Khun Mai and most of the staff (Khaolak Laguna) -
Khun Jo started to build Laguna as a huge hotel
complex, Khun Mai works in Laguna Resort
again as a manager, after 2 years in
La Flora
Khun Tarn = Kanyarat Tantiviwat, Mon, Sao, Khun Id (Bhandari)
- Khun Tarn works in
Bhandari as Sales
Manager for 3 resorts, Sao as receptionist,
Khun Id worked in
Andaburi as Front
Office Manager, then for t-Globe Thailand, Mon as receptionist
The brother of the owner, Mr. Sam, and 40 staff (Baan Khao Lak) -
Mr. Sam rebuilt
Baan Khao Lak
very nicely and runs it very well with many unique ideas
The son of the owner Mr. Gulati (Orchid Resortel) - He
rebuilt the resort as
Suwan Palm Beach
Resort, which is now taken over by Mr. Sam, the General Manager
General Manager Khun Kiat, Khun Sumol and many staff (Khao Lak Seaview Resort)
- Work again for the new
Seaview
Resort until it was taken over by Centara Group
Ae (Nang Thong Bay Resort 2) - She has rebuilt her lovely
resort in the rainy season of 2007 and opened in November 2007
Khun Jist and all her relatives except for Oi (Nang Thong Bay Resort 1)
- Khun Jist runs now very successfully the new
Nang Thong Bay
Resort
Mr. Prasert and 11 persons from staff, masseuse Saypin Kitsoun (Green Beach)
- Mr. Prasert has not found a suitable new
challenge and lives in Takua Pa now
Noi and her son, 8 persons from staff (Gerd and Noi Bungalows)
- Noi rebuilt the Khao Lak Bungalows completely and sold it
to become Ocean Breeze Resort, on Diver's Land she built Gerd and Noi Resort
The owner of Garden Beach and Khao Lak Andaman survived, also Fon, Daeo,
Nam survived - Fon has married, she runs the new
Khao Lak Andaman Beach
Resort, her sister Nam runs a Coffee Shop on the main road and 10 bungalows
for old guests in the garden
The owner and son Pisit, receptionist Jeab and many staff (Lah Own Resort)
- Pisit has returned and rebuilt the resort which the guests love
Judy, Mr. Lek, Dan and many staff (Tropicana) - They
did not rebuild, but run the very successful Khao Lak Land Discovery
Phu Khao Lak was not affected - Ko Chin built 10 bungalows
and a new restaurant with pool, the most successful restaurant in Khao Lak
Khaolak Inn was not affected
Owner Puyai Dam and 7 staff (Countryside Resort) - He
rebuilt the resort much bigger, but still quite lovely
All persons from Happy Lagoon Bungalows - Has re-opened,
with the "Running Deer Bar" and a depiction of James Bond Island
Andaburi Resort was not affected - was finally sold to Kata Thani
Group, renovated and now running as The Leaf
Nang Thong Beach - Restaurants, Shops, etc.:
All owners and staff on the hill side of the main road survived -
Most of them started their business again and are
thriving
Khun Peileen from the Shana Spa in Similana Park Resort + Baby + Staff
survived
Khun Kwanna and staff (Eco Adventure Tour) - Continue
their successful tour business
Mrs.Karnkayan (Khao Lak Pharmacy) - Moved the pharmacy
500 m to the north and is more popular now
Her son Gaeng (Khao Lak Collection and Souvenir) - Opened
a second, very successfull shop in Ko Samui, Chaweng Beach, then came back,
built a restaurant in Nang Thong and a construction material shop in Bang Niang
Tukta and a young man of the family (Tukta Restaurant) -
Tukta moved to the north of Takua Pa
The owner of Taco Time Restaurant and his family - Built
a new restaurant on the main road of Ko Kho Khao
Gero (Tour counter in Nang Thong 1)
Heinz Radaelli (house at Nang Thong Beach), we are deeply sorry that Marianne
did not survive due to her injuries
Owner Kee (PCC Adventure Travel) - Reopened
All staff (Liquid Adventure) - Reopened
Father and Son (Massage) - Manote is as busy as usual
and built a new house and business opposite Laguna Resort, his father is
getting tired
Nom and all family members (Nom Restaurant) - Continue
their business as usual
Tarzan = Toy and family and staff (Tarzan Bar) - One of
the most popular bars in Khao Lak
Nuang and wife (Nuang massage) - Nuang is as strong and
powerful as ever, but retired and lives in the forest
Owners Judy and Soul, Andreas Holzhofer, Num, Karim and all staff (Land
Discovery) - Very successful tour business
Pon and all staff (Discovery Cafe) - Nice bar, very
"gemuetlich"
Olaf and Jui (Khaolak Guide Co.) - Olaf and Jui have
retired to Old Takua Pa
Jai Restaurant, Khaolak Seafood and Happy Snapper Bar were not affected
- They are very popular and thriving as usual
Marika and Matthias Ronn (Quality Outlet Shop) - After
a very hard time they finally returned to Sweden
Michael Spjuth and his wife and all staff (Big Blue) -
Continue in Khao Lak with reduced capacity
All staff and guests (Sea Dragon) - Their live aboard
trips to the Similans are always fully booked
Carsten and wife (Breakfast Point) - Carsten opened the
"Multi Kulti" Bakery in Mae Nam on Ko Samui
Dr. Seree and family - All are doing well, Dr. Seree is
busy as usual, but retired to Takua Pa
Mam and family from Happy Lagoon Restaurant - Do not intend
to open their restaurant again
All staff (Variety Restaurant)
Bang Niang Beach - Resorts etc.:
Khun Pom and Bo, captain of restaurant Rong and driver Daeng (Palm Andaman)
- Rebuilt the modernistic
Ramada Resort
which is one of the top 10 resorts in Thailand according to holidaycheck
Manager Mark (La Flora) - After rebuilding
La Flora he moved
away to seek new challenges
The old owner Khun Rak and a few staff (The Beach Resort), finally sold
Michael (The Travellers' Inn Guesthouse) - Renovated and
reopened with the new name
The Sandy
House
Richard and Ursula Doring (Dream Beach Villas) - Built
the 5 holiday homes
Sita Garden
with a very beautiful garden
Mr. Thom and Beng (Chong Fah Beach Resort) - Rebuilt Chong
Fah in a very distinguished modern style, considered one of the best
family style resorts in Thailand
Owner Khun Nud and Somchai, 8 staff (Bang Niang Beach Resort)
- Rebuilt with big hotel buildings but ran out of
money and sold to become Fanari Resort
Koenraad, Meena (Lek) and Soraya, barman Win, kitchen worker Kiao (Baan Soraya)
- Koen moved to Holland with his family and runs a very
successful catering service for Thai food, the property was sold
Khun Pad Junkaew and wife Apa (Coconut Bungalows) - They
separated: Khun Pad lives at the Coconut Waterfall Resort in Lam Kaen, Khun
Apa is desparate because she gets no money for rebuilding therefore she wants
to sell or lease the land of Coconut Bungalows for 6 million
Baht
Paul Ruegg, Muk and Jasmin (Jasmin Resort) - They rebuilt
Jasmin Resort, Paul
worked again in Switzerland to recover the cost for reconstruction
Kees (Amsterdam Resort) - Rebuilt
Amsterdam Resort
with a big restaurant in the upper floor
The Danish owners (Ladda
Resort) - Henrik and Ladda renovated the apartment
house and built bungalows, a restaurant and a pool
Former owner Khun Patchara and former staff (ex-Pascha Resort = Sudala
Resort)
Mee, the seafood cook, Om, cook helper, Em, a waiter, Boonlerd and 7 more
staff (Dala Raman Resort)
San and Saeng, staff 5 men and 1 cooking lady (Cousin Resort)
- Saeng was the only Thai owner of a small resort
who never gave up and finally managed to get a new loan from her bank, San
and Saeng rebuilt Cousin
Resort with unbelievable energy, they are struggling to earn enough to
pay back their loans - Saeng is truely one of the heroes after the
desaster
Peter and Britta (Sanuk Bungalows) - Peter was the first
bungalow owner who started rebuilding his bungalows and his apartment house,
this created hope among the locals and brought many back on their feet; with
hardly any money he also opened a bakery, a breakfast restaurant, a travel
agency and a motorcycle rental, thus he was able to support his staff through
the hard years after the desaster - one of the true heroes of Bang Niang
Beach
Gardener Mr. Kom (Orchidburi Resort)
Bar Manager Lanya (Orchidburi, on Dec.25 moved to Amanusa) -
he helped survivors enormously in the Chong Fah waterfall area
Caretaker Ann and cleaner Ni Ni Khing (Sita Garden) -
Ann slowly overcame the death of her husband, both worked for New Sita Garden
for one season, now Ann is working as a manager for Loma Resort
Pan (Ruk Talay Restaurant)
Owner Andy, his wife Minnie Phool and 5 staff (Amanusa) - Andy built
new bungalows, a restaurant and bar: Amanusa Resort, he did not survive an
accident later, his parents sold the property, Minnie lives in America
The owner Mr.Chatree, the cook May and 3 Burmese staff (Ayara Villas)
- Mr. Chatree rebuilt
Ayara Villas
with a pool and beachside restaurant, built a hotel complex in third
row
Hong (Sabai Sabai = Rachavadee) - Hong left for Bangkok
but came back in order to rebuild Sabai Sabai Bungalows at the
beach, now called The Shambhala and Sabai Sabai Restaurant
Douglas and staff Uthai and Tik and 5 more persons from the staff (Mais Quiet
Zone) - Mai's son Sanan sold the land cheaply to a Danish
developper who built 3 private houses, a 4th house of 150 sq.m. he tries to
sell for 430000 Euros, a figure that makes everybody laugh, but one day a
stupid enough buyer will come....
The son Nu , Mr. Ti (Wunder Bungalows) - The land was
sold to a Swedish speaking developper, who started to build houses of 174
sq.m. for sale. Within 75 m of the beach houses for living are only legal
if they are not larger than 90 sq.m.! We feel pity for the Swedish buyers
of the houses who have run into severe trouble, because the houses were never
finished and the land was taken over by the bank and sold again.
Manager Khai (Natural Beach Resort) - In 2014 started the rebuilding of 9 double bungalows under the palm trees
Nong and Kai, the sons, Nok, the daughter (Lagoon Cottages)
- The children inherited 10 million Baht and slowly recovered,
now have proper work
Khwan, Nung, Too, Pliew, Mother, baby Boom (Khaolak Parkview Resort)
- Khwan and Nung worked for the SME Resort office for
4 months, then returned to their home town in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Bang Niang Beach - Restaurants, Shops, etc.:
Joerg Hartmann and family - Moved to Vienna, Austria,
where Joerg finally passed away
Owner and staff (Pranee Restaurant) - Khun Pranee lives
at Bang Muang together with 6 friends (all women) in a bamboo house. They
opened a restaurant by the road to Nam Khem and another restaurant on Ko
Kho Khao.
Owner of Pharmacy near the bridge in Bang Niang and her son -
The Pharmacy has opened again
Owner (Sena Computer (Acer))
Aino (staff of Raya Diver)
Owner Kham (Weechai) (Takeang Restaurant) - Received
millions of Baht from his worldwide friends and opened a nice restaurant
again
Owner of Aoey Restaurant - She rebuilt immediately, but
the land rent increased so much that she moved to the road leading to the
beach, finally she left for good
All staff (Mae Ban Restaurant) - They rebuilt the restaurant
at the highway and sell the cheapest and some of the best food in Bang
Niang
Haircutter Sue and sister Un who is a tailor - Had their
houses rebuilt with the help of good friends
Owner and staff (Suda Panit Minimarket) - Rebuilt their
shop with the help of donors
Ning (Bang Niang Travel Guide) - Peter Angermeier went
out of his way to help her and her family: opened travel shop and internet
cafe for her
Porn, Mr.Big and all staff (former Khao Sok Rainforest Safari) -
Porn works successfully for Khao Lak Guide
Company
Anocha and all staff and all divers (Blue Sky Travel) -
Reopened in Nang Thong at Loma Diving and run the dive
business successfully
Evi Vajda und Wolfgang Garhoefer (ex-High Class Adventure) -
Are seen around once in a while
Mr. Seree and 2 person staff and 2 singers (Lion Pub)
All are ok (West Coast Restaurant)
Mr. Pradit (Pluksa Travel) and wife (Pluksa Souvenir) -
Moved back to Talad Takua Pa, Mr. Pradit is still in real
estate business
Ramon, wife and all 4 children (Pinocchio Restaurant) -
Opened a new, very successfull Pinocchio Pizzeria with
his new wife at Bang Niang
Roen NOO-ON, his wife Kop, the girls Baem und Boh (Dragon
Restaurant&Bar)
Kathrin and son (Travel-Shop) - Sells paintings of artists,
opened her own shop in Khao Lak
Daeng and family (Paradise Restaurant) - Daeng and Nut
finally re-opened a Paradise Restaurant with the help of friends in Bang
Niang. It is obviously quite successfull, but in the low season they are
unable to pay the rent of almost 20000 Baht for the 4 small plots of land,
Nut opened a simple bar near the market with another friend, Daeng offers bike tours
Khak and most staff (Tong Sun Restaurant, directly behind Palm Andaman Beach
Resort)
Ung, father and mother, Joe (Pink Restaurant) - Ung was
a foreman to rebuild Chong Fah, now works as a taxi driver
Oo and Mr. Ti and all of his family members (Wunderbar)
Pak (Piranha Bar) - Opened Piranha Bar again at the entrance
of Mukdara, very good and successful
Father (Janejira Restaurant)
Kim and husband Sompong (formerly Chong Fah) - Kim trained
the new kitchen staff of Chong Fah, then retired and died in an accident in 2014
Nina (massage opposite Bang Niang Beach Resort office)
Ludwig Hugsam, wife Sarah and daughter Malay (Joe's Steakhaus, Ludwig and
Sarah were extremely helpful for victims) - Ludwig rebuilt
his restaurant with his own hands using earth block bricks, very successful
restaurant, open and full every evening, Mondays closed
Frankie and wife (landportal.com) - Restarted real estate
business as Land - House - Pool, good developper of houses at Sai Yoi Forest
Ernst and wife (iQ Dive) - Restarted iQ Dive
Johan (former Kon-Tiki) - Left for Phuket
Thanida Wilinart (travel counter at the beach near Pascha Resort)
Daeng, staff Jim and 4 more staff (Coconut Grove Restaurant) -
Daeng reopened Coconut Grove Restaurant successfully, but sold it later,
Jim was running Ton Son Restaurant very successfully at Bang Niang Beach next
to Ramada, then opened Chef Jimmie Restaurant at Bang Niang Beach Road
Geo and 4 staff , husband, mother and both boys (Mama's Restaurant at
Sita Garden) - Geo has new husband, new baby girl, new
Mama's Restaurant, new house built from earth bricks -- and new energy, because
her restaurant is doing very well now and she sees light at the end of the
tunnel. Geo is one of the true heroes in and after the desaster, not letting
herself down even in the most difficult situations, keeping her humour and
her willpower.
Khuk Khak Beach, Pakarang Beach, Pakwip Beach:
Khun Bibi, Khun Ann (Orchid Beach Resort) - Khun Ann works
in reception area of Briza Resort, then Sensimar Resort
Wimala Kuesakul (Wiwi) and Watida Fab (Da) (Theptharo Resort)
Miss Thoom (Grand Diamond) - Works in Ko Samui
Miss Wan = Cheerawan (Sofitel Coralia Magic Lagoon) -
20.4.2007: Von den 415 anwesenden Gästen kamen 209
ums Leben, von den 320 Hotelangestellten starben 99 (Zahlen aus der tollen
Webseite
von Heinz Albers)
Mr. Oom, Mr. Chet (Blue Village Pakarang)
Mr. Pod and Woy (Family Restaurant near Blue Village Pakarang) -
Mr. Pod works as tour guide
Mr. Alek and his son Arm, staff Mr. Chicken and Mr. Dom (Tukta Bar near Blue
Village Pakarang)
Juergen and Maria Krull (house at Pakarang Beach) - Started
the very successful help organisation
"Khaolak Friends"
to help children
All persons from Oawthong Restaurant and Bungalows - Started
3 popular restaurants on the beach, built some bungalows
Khun Hong (Le Meridien) and many staff - Hong rebuilt
Sabai Sabai Bungalows at Bang Niang Beach, now called The
Shambhala
Khun Moo and many staff (Anantara Resort/Royal Coco Palm)
For sure more have survived, but we did not get their names, yet. |
