Wondering about Friends Post-Tsunami: Remembrances of Ko Jum

I know many people are nursing hangovers from New Year's celebrations and I am recalling the last party I was at which would have been this Christmas Eve at the Seasons Bungalow on Ko Jum, Thailand. I will keep this short as it's a whole short story in its own (which I will be working on).

Ko Jum is the kind of island where you go to do nothing. And I mean absolutely nothing. It's not for everyone. Nightlife consists of watching a fiery orange ball slither behind the cliffs of Phi Phi and turn the clouds wisty shades of orange and vermillion at dusk. The island consists mostly of fishing families and a few bungalow operations for tourists. In the days that followed the tsunami, I asked as many people as I could - foreigners and Thais alike - about Ko Jum and the majority had never even heard of the island.

I fell in love with Ko Jum and the people working and staying at the family-run Seasons Bungalow. The Christmas Eve party, as the Danish family said to me the next morning was the funniest Christmas Eve they'd ever had. Seasons had just opened for business this April with about 14 immaculate concrete and wood bungalows and it was obvious word-of-mouth would make it a success - even though it's the kind of place you'd like to keep as your own little secret retreat spot.

Here are just a few (of many) memories of my stay at Seasons:

• The graceful ease that Phen, a co-owner, showed. While many tourist operators are of the strong-sell persuastion, Phen is understated confidence. That's what drew us in to Seasons as we were walking by - they weren't hawking their product aggressively, just their smiles and warmth were invitation enough.
• Seeing the maid rolling in laughter behind the reception desk as she folded laundry and Phen and Mon, the waitress, also in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Laughter was a staple at Seasons and highly contagious.
• How much fun the Christmas Party was. Mon was teased unmercilessly to dance at the party for the previous two days. And she finally had the last laugh as her teaser was dragged out to dance by several of the older village women first. Somehow Mon always managed to duck and run when anyone approached her to dance.
• The running joke about noses. Mon was unhappy with her East Thai nose (a bit flatter and wider) and Phen offered up scissors for 'surgery' to take some of my boyfriend's nose off his hands to graft unto Mon's. (OK, you had to be there for it to be funny.) There were many running jokes throughout our stay and we got to listen in on other guest's jokes.
• Mon running out to get the village "ice cream man" and flagging down all the guest children (ok, a few big kids as well). She refused to accept payment for our cones.
• When Phen's teenage son (I think it was one of her sons, but could have been a nephew) was doing the fire-juggling on the beach for entertainment, her husband quipped, "Bungalow barbeque."
• Crying reading the guestbook entries (those in English; many more non-English visit) and writing my own entry on the last day. They were some of the most heartfelt, effusive testimonials I've ever read.

I took a long-tail boat across the bay from Ko Jum to Phi Phi on Christmas morning. The boat was crewed by three weathered Thai men. I remembered the youngest of the three from the party and we teased him about his dancing prowess. They shared their beer with us. We saw bobbing up and down across the bay, colorful flags attached to one-liter water bottles marking the spot for the local fisherman's traps. They pulled one up out of the water to show us. Days earlier, I watched a few fishing families a bit north of the landlocked boat-turned-bar - locally known as the Fu-Bar which was part of the Golden Pearl bungalows - construct these bamboo fishing cages and work on nets for a few days.

The cheery teal/orange or blue/red and any of the hundreds of color combination flags are no longer. The traps and marine farmer breeding apparatus has been destroyed.  As I waited on the injured boat enroute to Phuket Hospital late in the afternoon of December 26th, I saw that the bay was now littered with debris of all types. I didn't look that hard at what type of debris - in case, there were bodies in the midst. Garbage lay scattered where once blue water and bright flags surrounded you.

I am grateful that Woodland Lodge has posted some information on Ko Jum. However the report is a bit unclear.

Several other resorts had a lot of damage. The Boat-bar [Fu-Bar I spoke of] further on the beach is destroyed too....

As far as Ray [owner] knows, no one is killed at the island of Koh Jum. Some local fishermen of Koh Jum didn't return....

I remember sitting on the Fu-Bar swing the Christmas morning after my beach run. It's situated in front of the Fu-Bar itself at the edge of a sandy incline so that when you swing out you feel for a minute you are on a ski lift high above the sand and then you return back to the plateau of the Fu-Bar. That the funky boat bar is destroyed means the wave reached fairly well inland from the typical shoreline.

I wonder about the fate of those missing fishermen. I wonder how those fishing families that survived will fare without their livelihood (many of their longtail boats as well were destroyed). I wonder how Phen and Mon and everyone else are doing. I wonder how the Seasons bungalow property fared (alas, they were brand new and just getting into the swing of the peak season but being the first year still not busy enough). I wonder if there is not enough work if Mon and her husband will have to return to the eastern Thai village they pointed out on the map. I pray that the island and its people are safe. I pray that laughter will echo soon again from Seasons Bungalows. I pray that you will keep them in your prayers.

If you have any information on Ko Jum in general (others have asked as well), please contact me at crossroadsdispatches -at- gmail [dot] com and let me know.

Comments

[oyo]

if you wanna help the people from ko jum try this website:
http://www.soskohjum.tk/

[Lotta]

I know exactly what you're talking about, almost a year ago I stayed at the golden pearl and fell in love with the island. I am worried about the family at golden pearl and hope they're ok even though I guess that not much of the place is left. the thought of it makes me cry. I know that Fubar is destroyed, that's the only info I have about Golden Pearl. Was Richie (one of the english guys who had Fubar) still at Fubar when you visited? He was talking about going to Australia when we visited.

[Evelyn Rodriguez]

Lotta,
There is now more information at www.soskohjum.tk - it says there were two known deaths and 15 fisherman "missing" but no names are supplied. I am still trying to get more information. In the meantime, www.soskohum.tk seems to be the most frequently updated source of information and also they are collecting money for the island's people. I am saddened that most of the villagers (as you will read) are still terrified and hiding in the hills, but I understand the fear. It was very hard to talk me into getting down to the water to take a boat to the hospital.

[Lotta]

yes, I've found the sos-koh jum-site and I'm checking it for news frequently. It's just so annoying that media only reports from phuket and khao lak where most tourists were. I'm glad to see that you are quite ok after all!

[lotta]

I have recieved information about golden pearl now. the brother of a guy we met at koh jum was there and reports that everyone is ok but nothing is left of the place.

[Patrick]

I am glad that at least someone is talking about the places other than Khao Lak / Phuket that were effected by the tsunami. It took me ages to find information about ko jum and, though it was destroyed, I thank Lotta so much for the information that everyone at "golden pearl" is ok!!!!

[linda neill-thompson]

We spent our honeymoon on Phi Phi at the Princess back last Feb and went back to the same place again in July with 2 of our kids. Jamie played every day on the beach at Ciao Bella with Raul.We spend time talking with his mum-are they ok? Is Santosh ok, he taught Jenny and Jamie to fire juggle at the bar near Apache? Also, Alec at the Hippie bar? I know we have lost many people that we have met during our many visits to Thailand and we pray that the above are ok.

[Ann Wallis]

Thank you so much for posting these comments about Koh Jum. I too have been looking for info about this beautiful place and its people since the Tsunami but without much luck.

I was staying at Green Bungalows, next to Seasons, when the Tsunami hit. I spent the best christmas of my life with 10 friends. Christmas night, the owners of Green Bungalows threw a great party for us with an all you can eat buffet, entertainment, games, silly hats and lots of laughter! We all know what happened the next day, but I would just like to say how amazing everyone I was with that day were - especially the people who lived there. With all the chaos, confusion, fear and dispair, they showed us the best that human nature has to offer - THANK YOU!

I was only on Koh Jum for 3 days and during that time fell in love with the place and I will definately be returning again. My friends and I spent a lot of that time in Fubar, the boat-bar which so sadly no longer exists. We made friends with its current owner - Wud (so, Lotta, Richie no longer owned Fubar). I know that Wud is ok as he spent the night up on the hill with us.

I have returned to the UK now but some of those friends who I was with are still travelling in Asia and intend to return to Koh Jum very soon to lend a hand where they can.

I know of many people who want to donate money directly to the people of this island, so I will be forwarding this link and that of soskohjum. These seem a safe bet for getting it to the people who helped us and hopefully is a good way to repay them.

[Ann Wallis]

Thank you so much for posting these comments about Koh Jum. I too have been looking for info about this beautiful place and its people since the Tsunami but without much luck.

I was staying at Green Bungalows, next to Seasons, when the Tsunami hit. I spent the best christmas of my life with 10 friends. Christmas night, the owners of Green Bungalows threw a great party for us with an all you can eat buffet, entertainment, games, silly hats and lots of laughter! We all know what happened the next day, but I would just like to say how amazing everyone I was with that day were - especially the people who lived there. With all the chaos, confusion, fear and dispair, they showed us the best that human nature has to offer - THANK YOU!

I was only on Koh Jum for 3 days and during that time fell in love with the place and I will definately be returning again. My friends and I spent a lot of that time in Fubar, the boat-bar which so sadly no longer exists. We made friends with its current owner - Wud (so, Lotta, Richie no longer owned Fubar). I know that Wud is ok as he spent the night up on the hill with us.

I have returned to the UK now but some of those friends who I was with are still travelling in Asia and intend to return to Koh Jum very soon to lend a hand where they can.

I know of many people who want to donate money directly to the people of this island, so I will be forwarding this link and that of soskohjum. These seem a safe bet for getting it to the people who helped us and hopefully is a good way to repay them.

[Josie]

Thank you so much for posting info on Ko Jum. My husband and I stayed at Golden Pearl bungalows in 2003 and we have been worrying about how everyone fared. I e-mailed Richie (from the Fu-Bar) but received no reply and so feared the worst. It's good to think that they are all safe - even if the place was destroyed - it's the people that count after all - not the buildings!!!

[Josie]

Thank you so much for posting info on Ko Jum. My husband and I stayed at Golden Pearl bungalows in 2003 and we have been worrying about how everyone fared. I e-mailed Richie (from the Fu-Bar) but received no reply and so feared the worst. It's good to think that they are all safe - even if the place was destroyed - it's the people that count after all - not the buildings!!!

[Andreas]

hello,

i found this site by searching for fubar and koh jum. i was there back in 2001/2, first year fubar was around and i too share many of the feelings that have been expressed here.

i am still in touch with richie and many of the others from fubar and golden pearl and i can tell you that the family, including key, marie, mama and papa are all ok, and more importantly so is key and marie's small child.

the farang crew, richie et al, were all in bangkok when the tsunami hit, so they are safe.

from someone who helped build the bar, it is nice to see that in its short life it added to many peoples travels. that is what it was there for.

cheers

[Leo]

Thanks so much for posting on Koh Yum!! I left Koh Yum the 21st and Thailand the 24th and was shocked the 26th. Fortunately most people I met there had allready left the area as far as I know.
I stayed at New Bungalows the southmost bungalowpark. The websites of the parks all show pretty photo's. Does it still look like that??

Sawasdee krap

[Maria]

I visited Koh Jum in mid February. Not much tourists, the ones who had come stayed mainly at Joy Bungalow. It was easy to see how far the waves had reached - the grass was mixed with sand up to that point (about 1/3 of the slope at Joy). We also went to the lovely muslim lady at Bo Daeng. Her newbuilt kithen/dining area was all gone, but she had done a nice job refitting the older parts and still serves the best bungalow food on the island. It´s easy to find lodging that feels safe from the waves as this is a pretty steep coastline. Don't hesitate to go. You will be warmly welcomed.

[Jochen]

I'm really happy to hear about the situation on Ko Jum by your reports. As well as you, this island went to my real love during my stay there on Feb/Mar 05. I can say my life changed with this great experience of simplicity, openness and loveliness. Much more I was delighted how many of you are interested and write about this "middle of nowhere" place.
I was told from my friends who witnessed the Tsunami in Joy Bungalows that the waves were "only" about 2 meters high and no one was killed. So meanwhile I was relieved to hear that. I believed that my location Golden Pearl wasn't affected.
Much more I'am now astonished about Fubar and everything else around isn't existing any more. I am relieved that the whole family as well as Richie and his crew is alive.
I am tearily about the lots of missed fishermen who are that important for their families.
Has anybody heared something about my thai-friend, the owner of the Hippie Bar in the north of the island? He was so poor, and all he invested was in his Bar. Anyway, what I heared is, that Mama Holland with her small baby and her thai husband of wildside did a great job in catering the thai and farang victims.
I plan to return back to Jum in a while, perhaps I still can help somehow. Does anybody have an idea how to help?

See you there...

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