Photo Essay

Thailand 02/05

How one fishing village in Thailand is recovering

Nam Kem village, Thailand, April 12, 2005

Photos and text by Eva Berglund, Church of Sweden/ACT International.

Nam Kem, a village dependent on fishing, was severely affected by the tsunami. Its quay was almost totally destroyed. Some larger fishing boats that were far out at sea on the day of the tsunami are still usable because they rode over the top of the wave before it slammed onto shore as the destructive tsunami.

Activity at the fish market resumed almost three weeks after the tsunami. This day's catch was good - four to five tons of fish. The different kinds of fish will be transported to Singapore, Malaysia and fish factories in Thailand.

Before the tsunami, Penstri Jusiripongkul owned nine fishing boats. Only four remain. The fishermen who were out at sea the day of the tsunami are still afraid. Some lost their wives and children and went home to relatives who live away from the coast. Forty out of the 90 fishermen who worked for Jusiripongkul have returned to work.

Jusiripongkul managed to escape the wave by climbing up a big tree. The tsunami carried away her car, and her house, close to the quay, was destroyed. It will cost about two million Thai baht (about US$50,500) to repair all of the damage. She has received ten percent of that from the government.

Many workers for fishing businesses are from Burma. Some prefer to stay on land and sort fish rather than going out to sea. Workers usually form a cooperative together with the owner of a boat. In a span of two weeks, workers can earn about 5,000 baht (about US$126).

Close to the fish market, a group of men are repairing their fishing boats. They are a different size and capacity than their previous boats, but they are essential to the way they earn their living. These fishermen are currently staying in temporary shelters and are relying on relief.

Sompong Pancho has started to repair his boat, but the 70,000 baht (about US$1,770) he has received from the government is not enough to cover all of the repairs. He will need more than 100,000 baht, but he has not been earning an income for almost three months. What he needs most is wood for the hull. Because so many boats are in need of repair or need to be replaced, the price of wood, which is imported from Laos, has gone up recently. If he is able to receive financial assistance, he can do the work himself.

This fisherman has prepared new cages for catching cuttlefish. When his boat is repaired, he will start fishing again.