The tale of one Tsunami survivor

"Mr. Soda"

Donielle and I spent 4 days in Ko Phi Phi soaking in the sun and enjoying the beautiful island environment but we couldn't ignore the scars still left behind by the tsunami back in 2004. Some sections of the sidewalks remain washed away and one side of the bay still has several vacant lots with foundations of buildings and/or debri left behind. Ko Phi Phi was one of the islands that was completely devastated in Southeast Asia. Since the town, Ton Sai, sits on a narrow stretch of land between two bays the town was completely overrun by the tsunami. One of the inspiring stories to come out of the disaster was Mr Soda's story. That's not his real name, of course, but he survived the tsunami (he was literally buried and had to be pulled out) and because of the destruction he was able to build a restaurant on land once occupied by resorts. Outside his restaurant he has a little sign listing several things he is thankful for and near the top of that list it states, I thank the tsunami for giving me the opportunity to have my own business and for supporting my family. If anyone comes to Ko Phi Phi we'd recommend you visit his little outdoor restaurant. Mr Soda claims that he makes the best smoothies and Thai food in Ton Sai village.....We're not sure it's the best, but they are pretty darn good. You can't miss Mr Soda for he's the only Thai that we know of who where's a little painters cap!

~J&D