Hell in Paradise: One man's quest to search for his friends after the 2004 tsunami in the South of Thailand

Name: Hell in Paradise: One man's quest to search for his friends after the 2004 tsunami in the South of Thailand
Rating: 5 (10 reviews)

HUGH VAN ES

Jul 2023 · Hugh Van Es

5.0

10 reviews

Ebook

Pages

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About this ebook

Hell in Paradise is a personal account of my quest to find my friends after the Tsunami in the South of Thailand in 2004. A long-time ex-pat in Thailand, it tells my tale of spending 4 days in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami putting the clues together and trying to determine if they are still alive. An emotional, thought-provoking book describing horrific events that touched me to my core. Even now, after almost 20 years, those 4 days spent in hell are still with me so vividly that it needed to be written.

The story starts with how we became close friends in a very short time, and what drove me to the decision to go find them.

Next year we are to commemorate the upcoming 20th anniversary of the world’s worst disaster in the history of mankind in December 2024. Sharing my story before this somber date should therefore honor all those who have lost family and friends.

Ratings and reviews

5.0

10 reviews

Jacob Holder

April 19, 2024

This book was an easy, yet impactful read. The author takes us on an intense ride between a leisurely family holiday to a harrowing rescue and search mission. We can all relate to the moment we learned about the disaster - where we were and what we were doing when the news broke. For the author it was the catalyst to a heavy, exhausting and frankly undesirable mission of loyalty. The first-hand accounts of the destruction in detail and magnitude left me speechless.

Shalini Joshi Yamdagni

October 14, 2023

This is a gripping story of the authors first hand experiences of the Thailand Tsunami in 2004. It brought back memories of that year and also reminded me how life can turnaround anytime forever… and to savour every day moments more and appreciate and feel gratitude for what is.

Antony Bell

October 14, 2023

Just read your book today as I had a couple of spare hours. Loved it! Chapter 5 killed me, and you wrote it so well that I actually felt I was there smelling what you smelled from your illuminating descriptions. The only problem I had with the book was its length…way too short!

About the author

Originally from Antwerp, Belgium, Hugh Van Es moved to Bangkok, Thailand, in July 1987 with his parents as a 16-year-old. During more than three decades of living and working in Thailand, he speaks fluent Thai and has been employed in various international conglomerates, such as Swarovski and Tolkowsky Diamonds while he just founded his own company Proquanet (www.proquanet.com) in December 2022 and is now working as an Executive Leadership Coach (www.hughvanes.com)

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