Our island of Koh Siboya is around 5 miles long about 3 miles across at its widest point. We took the tuk tuk to the North Pier and watched the locals fishing for small silver fish. We returned via another beach resort and the island duka (General Stores). All around the shores are blue tsunami signs explaining what to do in the event of a tidal wave and showing the “escape routes” to take to higher ground. The signs are fairly new and “stable doors and horses bolting” springs to mind. The people smile and wave everywhere. The island is home to around 1,000 locals although it is difficult to see how they sustain themselves. Most of the island is covered in rubber plantations, offering some jobs; there are a few eating places, small shops and resorts offering other employment. There are chickens, goats and a few cows and evidence of some fruit and veg growing. Fishing, ferrying and tourism are other outlets although most of the resorts, like ours, are virtually empty – a consequence of the worldwide economy, the political unrest in parts of Thailand and probably still concerns about the tsunami.
The tsunami on the island was around 1 metre high, enough to cause significant damage but we don’t believe any loss of life. Most of the houses are built on stilts and are made of bamboo and palm leaves, sometimes woven in pretty patterns. The stilts are to keep the houses cool with the air circulation rather than anything to do with water, or flooding or tidal waves.
Our trip across the island today, was interesting but we obviously have the prime location at Thai-West due to the clean beach, standard of accommodation and facilities. Mains electricity is in the process of being supplied to the island and should reach Thai-West by the end of the year. In the meantime, the generators seem to work well. We continue to be looked after well by Intion and her family. We are the only guests! Her sister is chief cook, cleaner and laundress; she is married to Ban who is the only one, apart from Intion, who speaks any English – so is our waiter, sorts out our menus and drives the tuk tuk. They have two little girls of about 6 and 8. Intion’s brother Akom is in the house next door to us by the beach. He is a furniture maker by trade and does a little bit of everything around the site including setting out the fishing pots. He also has a wife and two children a little boy and a little girl. They all muck in together for example, at dinner last night Ban barbequed three huge prawns and baked the potatoes, his wife prepared the salad and coconut chicken soup, Akom carved the decorations and Intion served and entertained! To complete the family picture Intion has her two year old son Martin and her mum and dad here too. Her husband, Elik who we corresponded with regularly in setting up the trip is an American lawyer; they have a house in California as well as the Thai-West business and travel between the two.
Well that is Thai-West and the end of our paradise island. Tomorrow we fly to Bangkok providing we can get the problematic tuk tuk started, negotiate the long tailed ferry boat at low tide (wading through the water again) and persuade Mr Dean, our taxi driver, to drive fast enough to get to Phuket airport in good time!
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