The best example of a natural or man-made disaster overturning some interesting matters that I can think of was the crash of a Columbian airliner on Long Island back in the late 1980's. Due to the incompetence of the crew - the plane left Columbia with less fuel than had been assumed to be on board and while on final approach over Long Island the engines stalled for lack of fuel and the plane crashed in a residential area (landing on John McEnroe's father's property, if I recall correctly). There were a large number of survivors (since there was no fuel for a fire), and many were taken to area hospitals, where routine intake included an x-ray. Many of the injured passengers were found to be drug carrying "mules" - with intestines packed with condoms containing cocaine. The luggage that was burst open and strewn across the property also contained a lot of illegal drugs fresh from Columbia.
I always thought of that as a great example of how an accident or natural disaster (plane crash, tsunami, whatever) can be a great cross-sectional view into something going on right under our noses (e.g., drug trade) which we manage to miss every day.
I realize I'm going to catch hell for suggesting this - but I'm really curious what will be discovered, in a similar fashion, as a by product of this disaster.
Radovan Daric and Tony Eklund arrive at Arlanda airport in Stockholm, Sweden, with blankets over their shoulders. Daric and Eklund were in Kao Lak, Thailand, with their families, when the tsunami hit the Indian Ocean shores. Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said that 1,500 Swedish visitors in Thailand were still unaccounted for, and the government feared that many of them were dead.(AFP/Pressensbild/Nils Petter)
Since you've never been there, why not spend your time and effort praying for the survivors and the families of those lost.
As you can see from the photos the vast majority of the 20 - 40 000 Swedish tourists visiting Thailand are couples and families - often with small or smallish children, plus backpackers. It is true Thailand used to be known for sex tourism in Europe as well, but it has largely shed that reputation during the last ten years or so - it is now essentially the place Nordics go in order to escape winter. (Hence the large numbers of tourists) I suspect the rep is lagging behind a bit in the States, as you have the Caribbean to play around in.
Of course $10000 in cash representing a payoff to the Watergate burglars was found when a plane carrying E. Howard Hunt's wife crashed. But I think that usually people are more concerned with the tragic effects of a big disaster than on the few disquieting facts it may reveal. I spoke to someone from Thailand yesterday who knows someone who died in the tsunami. They were desperate for more news from their country. I'm betting the sex tourism impact will be a minor footnote to this entire story.
"Never been to Phuket, but I'm wondering what stones will be turned over by this tragedy. What I mean by that is the European sex tour traffic that has gone on for years with tours to, among other places, Thailand. I'm guessing that someone was figuratively, if not literally, caught with their pants down by this unlikely seismic occurrence."
Isn't that special? You've never been there, but you're sure all these tourists were there for the sex...uffda!
Did you look at the photos? Did you see who they're talking about? It's families. Phuket is a resort on the water. Families go there, just like we go to Cancun or Cabo san Lucas. The sex trade is elsewhere in Thailand, in areas not affected by this tsunami.
The trouble with jerking your knee is that you're likely to knee yourself in the face.
Must every thread concerning this disaster be about sex tourism? This thread is about Swedes, who are wonderful people, being particularly hard-hit by this tragedy. Show some damn respect!
Don't sweat the flames.
I also have wondered about the vile sex trade and its predators in some of these areas.