Laguna Phuket establishes Tsunami Recovery Fund

Largely spared from the major devastation caused by the devastating Tsunami, Laguna Phuket is focusing on providing assistance to rebuild shattered lives. The Laguna has established a Phuket Tsunami Recovery Fund as a channel for many supporters, well wishers and contributors who want to provide direct assistance to help Phuket's local tsunami victims.

The fund, which attracted one million baht during its first day of operation, is managed by Laguna Resorts & Hotels' own organisational network and 100 per cent of donations will be distributed to those most dramatically affected in Laguna's immediate vicinity and throughout Phuket's worst affected coastal areas. Laguna Phuket will work with local authorities to determine where the greatest community needs lay and how best to achieve maximum benefit from the funding. Laguna intends to use the Fund to create and/or support substantial projects designed to provide long term recovery to restore broken lives.

The five Laguna hotels have cancelled their New Year's Eve fireworks, instead donating the savings as seed money for the Fund. New Year gifts and other company celebrations and activities including Laguna's annual Children's Day Fun Fair, has also been cancelled with the money budgeted for these activities being redirected into the Fund. Laguna's 3000 staff will be asked to voluntarily donate 5% of their January salaries to the fund, and every baht donated by staff will be matched by Laguna Resorts & Hotels. The management of Laguna Phuket are also identifying community clean up and recovery projects to donate human resources to, for staff wish to participate.

Ho Kwon Ping, Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings and Laguna Resorts & Hotels, initiated the humanitarian relief effort by personally delivering a donation of clothing and food supplies to 67 displaced local families seeking refuge at the nearby Bangtao Mosque. These, now homeless, families are all that remains of the bustling fishing village that had been located at the southern end of Laguna's Bangtao Beach, which could not withstand the Tsunami's force.

James Batt, Joint Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels attributes that "our network of large seaside lagoons saved Laguna Phuket from the tsunami's full force by absorbing most of the wave surge and debris. We've been able to clear away the debris quickly and now all our hotels' beach and pool areas are operational."

Of the five hotels at Laguna Phuket, Banyan Tree Phuket and Allamanda Laguna Phuket were unscathed. The Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket has only six rooms out of order, and Laguna Beach Resort has 14. The Dusit Laguna Resort suffered the worst and is working as quickly as possible to repair their two damaged restaurants, fitness centre, games area, kids club and 24 beachfront rooms which were flooded. From Laguna Phuket's total inventory of 1100 rooms only 44 are out of use.

Donations for the Phuket Tsunami Recovery Fund can be sent by telegraphic transfer to:

Account Name: Phuket Tsunami Recovery Fund Account Number: 537-2-897-028 Swift Code: SICOTHBK Siam Commercial Bank, Phuket Branch

Cheques made payable to the Phuket Tsunami Recovery Fund can be posted to:

Laguna Resorts & Hotels
390/1 Moo 1, Srisoonthorn Road
Thalang, Phuket 83110
Thailand

See other recent news from: Laguna Phuket, Tsunami