Five days after the disaster struck, I traveled with five other CARE Officers in the first of four teams to offer aid to the Singaporean families of the victims in Phuket. Our team consisted of two psychologists each from MCYS and the Police Force, one from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), and a psychiatrist, also from IMH.

Not previously having stepped foot in Thailand or been involved in relief efforts of such a magnitude, I did not know what to expect. My family and friends were naturally worried for my safety and if there would be sufficient clean water and food supplies.

The daily duties of the CARE-Officers consisted of 14-hour shifts that ranged from accompanying families on their search for missing relatives, performing administrative duties to exchanging and updating information for dissemination to the victims’ families. CARE-Officers would sometimes have to act as mediator between grieving families and the media who were in pursuit of story angles and photo opportunities.

It was an agonizing process for family members who flew in to identify the recovered bodies as many of the victims were beach-goers garbed in casual beach wear and had no identifying articles on them. There were also some who returned to Phuket many times in search of their missing loved ones, hoping against hope that they might be found alive.

I was assigned to assist the next-of-kin of a family
which had perished save for a sole survivor. It was heart-wrenching.

One of the most vivid images in my mind is that of the notice boards in Phuket’s City Hall, where notices and photos of missing persons were posted. Looking at them, I was struck by the photos of happy couples and families and the stark reality of what had actually happened to them and how fragile life is.

My one week in Phuket was an experience that remains etched in my memory. One can only imagine the anguish and pain of suddenly losing your loved ones, but in the midst of all the chaos and grief, I was amazed by the resilience of the Thai people, how they supported one another, and the great hospitality they showed us while we were there.

Overall, it has been a great learning experience. I feel blessed to have received such great support from the agencies involved and especially from my colleagues who covered my duties in my absence.”

Michelle Ho is a Senior Psychologist at MCYS.