An evening walk on an empty beach in Thailand led to an unexpected and inspiring meeting. We arrive at an empty beach restaurant where a happy waiter invites us. We decide to eat here and settle down. We toke in the menu and ordered a beer. When he comes out with the beer he asks if he can sit down. Of course it is always nice to have company.

We start talking, first about the situation right now. No tourists, no income. A restaurant that usually pulls in 50,000baths in one night can now, if they are lucky, get in 5,000baths. It’s tough but he laughs a little and says that this is nice. You can sit and watch the stars in the evening. We continue the conversation and he tells us about himself and his family. How at the age of 14 he worked in a factory and there lost all the fingers on his right hand except his thumb. but which he concludes. I have my thumb left so it’s going well anyway. He changes direction, the factory does not work for him now and starts in a restaurant. A few years later comes the wave. He is woken by his boss at 10.45 with the words ”a big wave is coming” there were three. He tells how he leaves his home and how everything disappears into the water. But as he says I’m alive.

He is silent for a short while, thinking back. Gets tears in his eyes and tells of a couple who visited him some night before the wave. They were on their honeymoon and asked where they were going now. They were thinking about Phuket. He suggested Khao Lak. There is much cozier. They took his suggestion and even today he thinks about how it went for them, he does not know.

It will be a strong meeting. He is grateful for everything, even though a lot has affected him, but what matters is his thoughts on the bride and groom he tipped. He says they will be fine after Covid but it is hard for the family. No matter what happens, you do not receive any support from the state. After the Tsunami, it took several years before he obtained new ID documents, what would he do with them? It was more important to help and clean up and get the business going again. It was a strong meeting with a lot of reflection but still it ended with laughter and faith in the future. Thanks for the conversation and we were happy that we chose you’re restaurant this evening 🙏