Khao Lak 2004 Blog

On the map version 051011 (last printed map) Ban Bang La on is wrongly called Nang Thong Village.

I got this very informative mail from Alex B from Khao Lak. Thank you!

The real name for the village (that is commonly referred to as Khao Lak and you named it on your map as Nang Thong Village)-  as it appears in roman alphabet and Thai letters (not only) on the road sign-  is: "Ban Bang La on" Translated in English: Village (Ban) small (Bang) of La on. All the locals call it this way and I asked some long-term residents again: They all agreed on the name La on. The Nang Thong family, as described in my last mail is a very influential family in La On, but has not named the village (yet ). So I would suggest you name it Ban Bang La on, or just Ban La on. I quote Lonely-Planet here on the Post-Tsunami update of their travel book "Thailand – Island and Beaches" (available on the www) from 07/2005:

"Back from the beach in Bang La-on (the town commonly referred to as Khao Lak), most of the buildings on the higher parts around Highway 4 survived or sustained bearable damage."

This morning I read Charlotta Ölanders very moving and interesting book "…himlen var oskyldigt blå", (in Swedish) about what happened to her and her fiancee during the chaotic days in Khao Lak and Phuket. It paints a very different picture of how the situation was form what was presented to us back home by the media and the Swedish Foreign Affairs. Thanks for a great book, Charlotta!
You can find the book here (in Swedish).

The first version of the map is printed. 1,100 prints are delivered to RSOS. But I have not seen the prints myself yet. I had hoped to get a sample by mail yesterday, but there was nothing in the post. A tad disappointed. But I am sure to get it on Monday.

Today I was having a long chat with a woman who survived the tsunami but lost her mother. Thank you for sharing. It means a lot too me to learn about all the details.

Today my print shop called and told me that the nice paper I had chosen was out of stock and that it was not to be sold anymore. They suggested a similar paper that was two times more expensive. After talking to the manager I was promised the same price tho. But there is no time to get a sample. So I have to trust its a good paper…

At last I am into the final preparations making the big print order. This week I have been working with choosing the right paper for the map and choosing a good envelope. Was talking for a long time with the paper company (whose name is Map strangely enough), and finally found a great polypropylene paper. I made a test folding in the right size and it is so good! Smooth and strong and exactly the right weight. This is going to be good!

It seems harder to find a good envelope. The great envelopes I found in the paper store wasn’t for sale. Very odd. 

Up to today we got some 60 maps pre-ordered from private persons in Germany and Sweden. And 1.000 maps ordered from RSOS in Sweden, just like they said they would. 100 maps is pre ordered from the Swedish consulate in Phuket.  This means we got the means to make the print!

I have informed Red Cross, Ersta Diakoni, Swedish Foreign Affairs about the prints and the free PDF map.

I learned from someone at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs that they might be thinking that the Khao Lak map made from stolen, military data. What can one say…

When I asked them if they needed any maps they answered that this is not a service they do for the public and that they thought that the personnel in Thailand  already had all the maps they needed.

"Axel, Vi som departement ger inte denna service till allmänheten. Det är myndigheterna som gör. Vad beträffar egen personal i området, är jag övertygad om att de redan har alla typer av kartor. …"

Roland Ripmark