Covid period in Phuket

In this long period from 2019 to 2021... a considerable number of activities or businesses have stopped working because of the absence of tourists for many weeks: 

stores, restaurants, bars, beauty or massage parlors, small markets, all those motionless boats moored at the beach, street vendors... in fact, all those jobs that allowed many locals to live normally and feed themselves.

Of course, the consequences of such a situation are easily noticeable since they directly affect this population which finds itself without income from one day to the next.

The Thais never have much money in advance... not that they are spendthrifts, but they often come to Phuket to work and from there, regularly feed their family (parents, children, sisters or brothers) who remain in the north of the country. A large part of their salary is therefore given to their family every month.

Patong, Karon, Kata and Rawai have become ghost villages without a living soul... discouraging, demoralizing...
If the tourists have gone home and the island of Phuket is deserted, the expatriates of all nationalities living there all year round are mobilizing and doing an admirable job of helping. Thus, several groups have been formed and have organized regular distributions of small individual rations.

The following photos are a simple testimony (and not an attack on the dignity of these poor people or even a voyeurism) of these particularly touching moments. 

The number of people in Phuket without resources was impressive and this period of pandemic allows us to realize the emptiness caused by this situation.