Within the week, we leave for Thailand - our 10th visit. We
have returned over and over since 1997. Sometimes the visits have been short, 2
or 3 weeks, but more often we have stayed for 3 months or more. We have
travelled to the North, East (Isaan), Andaman coast and islands in the Gulf of Thailand.
One week after the tsunami of Dec 26, 2004, we arrived to find the
country in distress and confusion. This year, we will arrive only one week
after the flood waters have started to recede in Bangkok. The flooding - the
worst in 60 years - has been devastating. The country is once again in a state of distress. In addition to the significant clean up, pundits predict that the economy will decline due to lost productivity, disaster recovery costs, business interruptions and fewer tourist visits. It will be interesting to see how quickly the country recovers and how the people and businesses respond.