Quote Originally Posted by Divinity
How do I feel? Scared... I mean it can happen also in Portugal... it happened once in 1752, it can happen again... I just fell sorrow for those people... you go on vacation to that place and u u're at ur hotel, u open the window and u see most of the people dying with hunger, no, I'd never go to those countries and I have no pitty of the people who were in vacations there. I just fell bad about the local people whom have died!
Divinity, I know that others have responded to you in this thread, and that your understanding of the situation is different to others, but I really must respond to your comments.

As others have said, people in countries such as Thailand rely on tourism to sustain their economy, fragile as it may be. Having studied tourist spots, I doubt very much that the local government of various countries would allow tourist resorts to be set up in the middle of Thai slums, as that would serve merely to discourage tourism. I have friends who have been to Thailand, Africa, Vietnam, and many other places, and let me tell you; it is extremely hard facing those in poverty. How do you pick your battles? Sure, you can give money to ten people on the street, but eventually you will run out of money, and then what will you do?

How can you feel bad about the local people who have died, but not pity other people whose lives are just as valuable? Every person who has died is somebody's friend, child, partner, etc, and the death toll, although around 152,000 is far from done.