November 5th, 2006, 12:27
SCARS OF DISASTER REMAIN YEARS LATER
Typhoon Gay, which devastated Chumphon's Pathiu district 17 years ago yesterday, radically changed the landscape and the mindset of residents
Businessman Panithan Kajornbut said fear of a typhoon is as fresh as it has ever been. Storm warnings are never taken lightly.
After Typhoon Gay knocked down row after row of houses on Nov 4, 1989, people rebuilt their homes using new architectural blueprints. Merchant Piya Komkaew, 46, said where two-storey wooden houses stood, sturdier single-storey concrete homes sprouted.
"We always think that one day [such a devastating] storm will come our way again," he said.
Mr Panithan said residents changed the way they invested. "Before the typhoon, we kept expanding businesses locally. Now we branch out, investing in other districts to minimise risks."
Coconut farms, pounded by the typhoon, were redeveloped into rubber or oil palm plantations under the encouragement of the Chatichai Choonhavan government of the time.
The government spent 20 billion baht in Chumphon to rehabilitate the post-Gay economy. Projects included a new airport, university and factories. It set off feverish land speculation.
Many natives of Tha Sae and Pathiu districts, where typhoon damage was worst, sold beachfront land for handsome sums and moved to town, Mr Panithan said.
But the projects faltered. Commercial airlines would not land at the airport. Many loans became bad debts.
Naeb Changjai, 71, said she sold her 25-rai seaside plot for 24 million baht. Keeping five million baht for herself, she gave the rest to her seven children and went to live in the city.
Her children's money quickly dried up after they spent it mindlessly, she said. She later returned to the beachfront community and took up a career she abandoned after the typhoon _ selling shrimp paste.
"My life after Typhoon Gay is like a dream. It's a real life soap opera. It showed me how rich people enjoyed life and also suffered," she said. "I also saw my kids turn their back on me after they got money. I decided to go back to square one for peace of mind."
Typhoon Gay, which devastated Chumphon's Pathiu district 17 years ago yesterday, radically changed the landscape and the mindset of residents
Businessman Panithan Kajornbut said fear of a typhoon is as fresh as it has ever been. Storm warnings are never taken lightly.
After Typhoon Gay knocked down row after row of houses on Nov 4, 1989, people rebuilt their homes using new architectural blueprints. Merchant Piya Komkaew, 46, said where two-storey wooden houses stood, sturdier single-storey concrete homes sprouted.
"We always think that one day [such a devastating] storm will come our way again," he said.
Mr Panithan said residents changed the way they invested. "Before the typhoon, we kept expanding businesses locally. Now we branch out, investing in other districts to minimise risks."
Coconut farms, pounded by the typhoon, were redeveloped into rubber or oil palm plantations under the encouragement of the Chatichai Choonhavan government of the time.
The government spent 20 billion baht in Chumphon to rehabilitate the post-Gay economy. Projects included a new airport, university and factories. It set off feverish land speculation.
Many natives of Tha Sae and Pathiu districts, where typhoon damage was worst, sold beachfront land for handsome sums and moved to town, Mr Panithan said.
But the projects faltered. Commercial airlines would not land at the airport. Many loans became bad debts.
Naeb Changjai, 71, said she sold her 25-rai seaside plot for 24 million baht. Keeping five million baht for herself, she gave the rest to her seven children and went to live in the city.
Her children's money quickly dried up after they spent it mindlessly, she said. She later returned to the beachfront community and took up a career she abandoned after the typhoon _ selling shrimp paste.
"My life after Typhoon Gay is like a dream. It's a real life soap opera. It showed me how rich people enjoyed life and also suffered," she said. "I also saw my kids turn their back on me after they got money. I decided to go back to square one for peace of mind."