Sadly, a second tsunami has hit Phuket. Frightened travelers are staying away and jobs are being lost. Even the elephants in local elephant camps are out of work and have been set free in the forest. We think this is a real pity since very little of Phuket was directly affected and most hotels and nightlife venues there never interrupted their operations. Here is a first-hand account from one of our guests:

"Thanks again for your kind assistance with my recent travel to Phuket. As an annual visitor to Thailand, I was very anxious to see first-hand how Phuket had weathered the devastating tsunami just two weeks (before). Much to my relief, after just this short time, virtually all of Patong Beach is up and running already. Without the clutter of beach chairs and umbrellas, the beach itself is white and pristine. Only the businesses fronting the beach sustained damage and debris has already been cleaned up, and rebuilding and repair are well underway.... Just one sad note from the whole trip, Phuket's businesses are up and running and ready for business, however there are very, very few tourists visiting now. Please reassure your clients that Phuket is SAFE AND CLEAN and completely ready for visitors. Local businesses are totally dependent on our tourist dollars and won't survive this winter's high season without us. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with an abundance of Thai hospitality, and we're already looking forward to next winter's visit." -- George F.

There is still time to enjoy all Phuket has to offer during what has traditionally been a peak travel period. And frankly, spending your money there will help many people keep their jobs so local gay businesses will welcome you enthusiastically. One Bangkok newspaper went so far as to say that the best way to help people in Phuket is to spend a holiday there.

The 6th Phuket Gay Festival has been rescheduled for April 7 to 10. We will be there and hope you will be, too.

Among the things we learned in the aftermath of December's tsunami disaster is the value of travel insurance.

We had quite a few guests in Phuket, Krabi and Golden Buddha Beach when the tsunami struck. Even more were en route to enjoy a beach holiday at one or more of these places. Two of the hotels we worked with were destroyed, leaving some of our guests stranded. We were on the phone constantly in an attempt to find alternative arrangements for our customers whose holidays were interrupted. Although we did our very best, hotels in the region were already packed to capacity with peak season visitors, and were not always successful. In most cases, alternative plans required additional expense. Refunds following a peak-season "act of God" do not exist, particularly from hotels that have been destroyed.

During the last month two of our customers had to cancel at the last minute because for unexpected health problems. Our industry's cancellation penalties are strict, especially during high season, meaning there are no refunds for last-minute cancellations.

Some of our guests purchased travel insurance before their holidays. They will eventually recover the money they lost. Others have experienced a painful reminder about the value of travel insurance. Coverage is not very expensive and there are many different providers to choose from, depending on where you live. It is easy to buy travel insurance on the Internet. We Googled "trip cancellation insurance" and got 40+ pages. We liked www.insuremytrip.com, which represents twenty different travel insurance companies.

Books

Jetlag Books promises travel guides "for the undiscerning traveler," and they have triumphed with the publication of Phaic Tăn - Sunstroke on a Shoestring. Never before has the obscure Asian Kingdom of Phaic Tăn (pronounced "fake tan") been explored in such extraordinary depth. The authors delve almost tediously into Phaic Tănese history and culture before presenting the definitive travel guide to the capital city of Bumpattabumphat, the seaside resort province of Thong On, the trekker's paradise Pha Phlung, the northeastern province Sukkondat, its capital Slo Phan, and points in between. About 250 pages in full color will make you think twice about ever going there at all. Whether you are new to Southeast Asia or a frequent visitor, you will surely find something fascinating in this remarkably insightful volume, which lays bare many facets of Southeast Asia we would rather people never know about. If you live outside Australia you will have to wait. Not even Amazon.com has this Aussie best seller yet. That will change soon.

The Spartacus Guide is grandmother of all gay travel guides. This annual volume offers 1300+ pages of practical where-to-go information for every corner of the globe. If you are a Club Sanook Member and take any of our tours during March, April, or May, stop by our Bangkok office and we will give you a copy of the 2004/2005 Spartacus Guide free. You have to be among the first twenty people to take us up on this offer, because that is all we have. Sorry, we can't mail you a copy.

Where to Eat