PHUKET: A friend arrived on Phuket today from Bangkok and went almost immediately to the local Tesco store, in southern Phuket.
She needed supplies. She didn't find any.
''It's just like normal,'' she said, comparing the island to Bangkok these days. ''Phuket has nothing we need.''
Some people seemed to think that life has gone on without disturbance on the other side of the dykes, beyond the flooded provinces and Bangkok.
Not so. The two Thailands, the dry Thailand and the wet Thailand, continue to be united by one thing - a shortage of essentials.
A survey of Phuket outlets at the weekend by Phuketwan produced a catalogue of memories of golden days of shopping, the days when everything people needed - and many things that they didn't need - were there, in 57 varieties.
Today, there was a plentiful supply still of the things people seldom, if ever, need. But water, rice, instant noodles, canned fish, milk, eggs?
As with love and money, you just have to hope to get lucky on Phuket.
The good news for the Phuket tourism industry is that more and more people are heading south to Phuket to escape the floods, if not the shortages.
Thai Airways has increased the size of the aircraft on the Bangkok-Phuket, Bangkok-Had Yai and Bangkok-Krabi routes.
At this stage, there's no telling how long the shortages will last. Phuket supermarket and store managements are doing their best, but Thailand is a big country and many are in great need.
So there will be more people like my friend, popping into a store on arrival and expecting to see shelf after shelf of goodies.
No way. We're all in this together.
Welcome to Phuket, enjoy your stay . . . and at least your feet will be dry, unless you go for a swim at a beach.
She needed supplies. She didn't find any.
''It's just like normal,'' she said, comparing the island to Bangkok these days. ''Phuket has nothing we need.''
Some people seemed to think that life has gone on without disturbance on the other side of the dykes, beyond the flooded provinces and Bangkok.
Not so. The two Thailands, the dry Thailand and the wet Thailand, continue to be united by one thing - a shortage of essentials.
A survey of Phuket outlets at the weekend by Phuketwan produced a catalogue of memories of golden days of shopping, the days when everything people needed - and many things that they didn't need - were there, in 57 varieties.
Today, there was a plentiful supply still of the things people seldom, if ever, need. But water, rice, instant noodles, canned fish, milk, eggs?
As with love and money, you just have to hope to get lucky on Phuket.
The good news for the Phuket tourism industry is that more and more people are heading south to Phuket to escape the floods, if not the shortages.
Thai Airways has increased the size of the aircraft on the Bangkok-Phuket, Bangkok-Had Yai and Bangkok-Krabi routes.
At this stage, there's no telling how long the shortages will last. Phuket supermarket and store managements are doing their best, but Thailand is a big country and many are in great need.
So there will be more people like my friend, popping into a store on arrival and expecting to see shelf after shelf of goodies.
No way. We're all in this together.
Welcome to Phuket, enjoy your stay . . . and at least your feet will be dry, unless you go for a swim at a beach.
Main distribution centers for Tesco-Big C and maybe others too are located in Autthaya and Pathum Thani, they are flooded, have read in other media that they are setting up alternative distribution centers in North and South Thailand , so would not be surprised to see shelves filled again in a not so distant future, after all these companies want to sell stuff ;-)
Posted by Bjarne on October 31, 2011 14:47
Editor Comment:
Yes, Tesco has established a new distribution system since the floods began, with as we reported a Southern hub, but supplies have to go in before they can go out.