Ghost Writer

Though the year was defined by the Tsunami Disaster here in Thailand, it was for the ETC also filled with triumph and many hard won successes. We feel extremely proud of, and grateful for, the wonderful support that we’ve received. We also feel extremely proud of our group of students for their tremendous effort; their ability to overcome many obstacles by working together, and for their style and humor and resilience in the face of overwhelming loss and in the face of the challenges before them. The ETC website is linked here if you wish to understand more of what our program is all about.

It is for all these reasons the ETC staff and students are shocked and saddened by an anonymous letter which has been sent out to many of our sponsors in an effort to discredit and raise doubts about our organization. The letter alleges any number of far fetched and shocking items, but is 100% false in every way. The most telling sign is that the author was too cowardly to sign their real name.

Most of the people the letter has been sent to are long time supporters of the ETC and friends who have a great deal of contact with the program, and have watched us grow and cheered us on. For these people, it is easily recognized for what it is. However we are concerned that the letter may reach some new or potential supporters and raise concerns about the integrity of the ETC. Therefore we are sending this alert and our response out to everyone we know. We regret that it is necessary to waste anyone’s time or attention span with such things, as there is a great deal of other things for us to spend our time on, but Pascal and I thought that it would be best to alert people before they receive it. This seemed like the most professional way to handle it.

In any case, We are here to say that the ETC is and has always been a great program and that none of the rubbish this person wrote is remotely true or accurate. Such behavior would be impossible as we have a constant flow of visitors, supporters, and journalists every week, (many of you are among them) and we will continue to welcome anyone and everyone to check out our program first hand, announced or unannounced. We are confident that if you do visit, you will be inspired, amazed, and proud to have helped us. Our response to the anonymous letter, including letters from all our students and a few other members of the ETC community is posted below. If anyone would like to add their response to the ETC official response we welcome you to write in.

OUR RESPONSE

Dear ghost writer,

It has come to the attention of the ETC that you have anonymously slandered the reputation of our organization to our sponsors. Your many false accusations are potentially very damaging to our organization, fortunately the people who have supported us have done so by investigating, witnessing, and verifying our good work. You speak for no one in the Khao Lak community and your cowardly and anonymous letter will not be heeded by anyone who has any official contact with our program. It takes a great deal of courage and dedication to do what we have done, and it takes very little to sit back and write lies about good people doing good things for their community. Our students, whom you so freely say have divulged this negative report, are completely 100% percent behind this program and have all written individual responses to your letter. Each states that that you are a liar and a person who only wants to wreck their hopes and dreams. They ask you why on earth you would hurt them this way? We have all our immediate neighbors writing responses as well, and all are long time Khao Lak residents. You speak for no one but your own cowardly and black hearted self and no one in this community agrees with your letter.

We have worked tirelessly for one year to bring this program to our students and they will not let you ruin their hopes and vision. Nor will we.

Although nothing you wrote was accurate or true, here are a few facts to set the record straight for you once and for all.

Regarding your idiotic comment that the ETC is only open for publicity stunts.

1, The ETC is open six days/week, from 8:00AM to 5:00PM every weekday and on Saturday from 8:00 to 12 noon. It has always been the case since we started on August 1st, 2005. We often are out on field trips or diving to teach about the natural environment. Even when we are in the building, we often close the doors when we are teaching or using the projector because of noise and lighting considerations. We have substantial proof of these facts, including our attendance records, and also our students are required to keep a computerized calendar of their activities and progress.

Regarding your false statements that none of our students are from the local area and that we are endangering our students with our dive training program and coastal survey work.

2. The majority of our students are from the Khao Lak area 11 out of 17 students in fact. We have 17 by the way, not 12. The rest came from Phi Phi Island and worked for months in clean up and Recovery with Andrew Hewitt’s team. We follow PADI standards in everything we do, and our students are diving in challenging conditions in service to their community and are guided and taught to be expert divers in the most comprehensive training program imaginable. Two of our top student divers were just asked to assist in training 10 Thai Marine police officers in our search and recovery procedures, and the Thai police are grateful. The French Red Cross attended, supervised and funded the training. Our undersea survey work in the local area is helping the entire resort community recover and rebuild. Our published report is now circulating in the UN, the American and French Embassies, and with several Thai governmental bodies. We are staunchly supported by PADI, and have done everything adhering strictly to PADI’s excellent guidelines and standards. There have been no injuries, no incidents, and our safety record is impeccable.

Regarding your base, indecent and inflammatory remarks that the ETC facility resembles a bar/brothel and stating that we are only open at night:

3. A bar sells Alcohol. A brothel sells sex. We sell neither. The ETC is a vocational training facility teaching English, Computer skills and Scuba Diving. The students are a social bunch and a tight knit group of friends by this time. They are young adults who have shared tragedy, loss, and a triumphant comeback. It only makes sense that they often share dinner, guitar playing, and a beer or whiskey at the neighbor’s mini mart after hours. This is Thailand, and this is Thai custom. Anyone living here knows that, and you know it too. They work very hard in our program, they are adults, and we don’t control them in their free time. However, they are polite and helpful and always understand their behavior is important to us. Our neighbors have nothing but good things to say and love our students company and energy. As previously mentioned, the ETC is closed at 5:00PM daily and rarely open at night except for special events.

Regarding your wildly out of line insinuations of impropriety or that any staff member fondles young students:

4. The young Thai companion whom you make accusations of is not an ETC student, she happens to be my Thai wife of 2 years, and the administration assistant for the ETC, and she has been instrumental in the ETC’s tremendous success. She is pregnant with our child, and I love her. My affection for her is deep and quite non of your business or concern. The truly sad part is that you know all this and said these things only to damage our program.

Regarding your fallacious and baseless claims that the ETC is guilty of “funding abuse”

5. The ETC is supported and scrutinized by many large NGO’s and our books and expenditures are open and transparent. We are soon to become a registered Thai foundation with the support of the French Red Cross. Your accusations are easily proven false by the many funding agencies who have scrutinized our paperwork. We are a very fine and upstanding organization in every way. Your letter will not succeed in it’s intent to discredit us.

Regarding your lies about speaking with any of the ETC students and your fictional claims that ETC students divulged information to you that we are planning to compete with local dive shops and conduct our own tours:

6. No ETC student has ever spoken with you, much less spoken about such plans. The ETC has no plans to compete with the dive industry and does not and will not offer dive tours to tourists except as a booking mechanism to feed new tourists to the existing dive centers of the area, and only as a means of supporting them from our outstanding marketing capability and prowess. The ETC is supported by the dive community which you are no longer apart of having soiled your reputation with every company you’ve worked for. And it’s interesting that while you accuse others of taking sensationalistic pictures, you now have a gallery of them, selling people the last known pictures of their deceased relatives and keeping the money for no one but yourself. How much is the going rate for that sort of thing? It’s clear to everyone you’ve transposed your own guilt and shame onto others and are the only one trying to profit from the Tsunami. The ETC is a non profit company, we support the community we live in.

Regarding your personal character and your cowardly and dirty tricks:

7. Yes we know who you are, recognizing both your poor English and your sour and truly pathetic attempt to malign our character, and we are working hard to positively identify you for the police. The heavy drinker down the street who has lost his job, his house, his way and has no friends. The only one with enough time on his hands and the bitterness to do such things, the who speaks behind the backs of his neighbors. The one who who called the ETC’s Managing Director a ‘racist’ for not allowing western foreigners to enter our program. The one who tried to charge the ETC program 4 times the going rate to train our students in your pool, and then called us ‘parasites’ because we wouldn’t pay your rate.

We’re all sorry your down on your luck, but we can not allow you to hurt our students in your own agony. As soon as we have a lock on your identity, you will be facing some very difficult legal trouble and possible arrest for your shameful attempt to discredit and disrupt our fine program. It’s quite hard to imagine for any of us why you could be so evil and try to take away what we have built together with love and with hard won community support. Perhaps it is because you are truly incapable of doing anything good yourself so you spend your time trying to destroy others. Shame upon you. But be certain your despicable letter will not stop the ETC or the students we are bringing hope to.

Reid Ridgway,
Managing Director of the ETC (and proud of it)

Pascal Hernikat,
Operations Manager of the ETC (and proud of it)

Steve Belair
Volunteer Instructor for the ETC (and proud of it)

17 Students of the ETC (and proud of it) would invite you to read their response to your deceitful letter. Keep in mind only a few of our students could speak, read, or write English when they entered the program 5 months ago.

My name is Tongkhan Worrapanya. From PHI PHI ISLAND
I’m student in ETC project . Now, We learned in the program 5 months.
ETC teach me a lot,this is a good experience for me.
The program teach me Computer skills,Marketing and Scuba diving.
Before I wasn’t abel to speak English but Now, I can have a conversation with Mr. Reid.
The program teach me how to protect the nature and environment.
Today MR. Reid received a email forwarded from one of our important sponsors. Some person try to stop ETC project and I feel bad and don’t understand why he done this. Everything big lies and not good for ETC and future for everybody. Everyday we try to learn and work hard and we are sad that anybody would do this. Maybe this person is coward and can’t say his name. Because everybody know he lie. I worry what will happen with this letter if people believe about it. Please don’t listen and we will continue to learn. I think nobody can say this about Mr. Reid or Mr. Pascal, the ETC is a very good program for every student. We love our boss. Thank you to our sponsors and happy new year.

Tong

Hello everyone,

My name is Supannee Chorthaisong (Kgung), I am a student of ETC Program, I am so sad about the story that some one wrote very bad about us, but i just want to tell you it not true at all, since i stay in ETC program i can read and write english , and can speak also. I know how to use computer, i know how to dive and learn a lot and see a lot a thing when i diving, i learn how to use the pure oxygen for help people with accident and I learn CPR, i know all that stuff is have to pay a lot of money, me and my friend never can learn all about that cause we don’t have that much money but we happy because still have some one like Mr. Reid and Mr. Pascal care about us and try to help us, find the sponsor for us and teach us many thing that not easy for us to find that at all, and teach us to be a strong person. But people should help us become something not to destroy us. What is they want from us why they doing that we don’t know. And this program still continue for many people want to come in and join on this great program, We all had a hard time from tsunami we just want to beg that person to don’t do that it not help people but try to kill people also to not have a good life too. However we will continue this program until it time to finish we will stick together for this program and for our self. We will prove to everyone that we do a good thing only.

Thank you so much.
Supannee Chorthaisong (Kgung).
ETC Student from Khao Lak

Hello everyone,

My name is Thiwa Hoolsakun (Pbun). I am a surviver from Nam Kem In Phang Nga Province not to far away from Khao Lak area, i lost many things on this disaster i lost the people i know, i lost my home, i lost my job and many many things in my life, in the first day of tsunami had to sleep in the temple with my mom and a lot of surviver because i have no house to stay, i had really hard time for long time after tsunami, and i lost my job too. But i still had a hope cause my mom still alive but i sad that i lost about a thousand people that i know. Until i had a chance to come to this program it ETC Program. I really sad that i see this letter, the letter wrote about program and about our student and my boss at the wrong way and not true it not a right thing what in the letter say, we have no idea why this person wrote about us like this, that why i write this letter for everyone to know it not true at all what is in the letter. And however i will continue my job the best i can and until finish this program. Because my future is stay on this program. And i really hope on this program every one in my family hope in me for the new life, new job, and for take care for my mom and my sister too. At last i want to tell the person that wrote this letter to. Please don’t write the lie letter and don’t destroy our future. And please believe us we will do the good things only. We will prove this for everyone.

Thank you so much,
Thiwa Hoolsakun (Pbun)
Baan Nam Kem, Khao Lak

Hello everyone,

My name is Saipin Kitsoun (Pin) My address is 84/2, Moo#4, Tamboon Wang Kiri, Aumphur Houy Yod, Trang Province, I been working at Khao Lak Area for 3 years, And i have one of tsunami Surviver after that i came to ETC program, i learned a lot of thing in this program that i never knew before, i am a one of student in ETC and i so shock about this letter that wrote about us really bad and untrue. I have no idea who knows a lot about us but not true at all. But only i know about it this person is lie. I been learned at ETC for 5 month, and i saw Mr. Reid and Mr. Pascal working a lot, I just want to please the people that wrote about this letter i just want to tell them to stop this lie thing and use them time on helping people or do something good for people like what Mr. Reid and Mr. Pascal does. And please don’t try to destroy for our future. And big thank you for people that been helping us for long time and believe in us. Because i still have to child to taking care of for long time.

Thank you so much,
Saipin Kitsoun (Pin)
Khao Lak

Hello everyone,

My name is Praseart Suwanpraseart (Tid), My address is 45/2, Moo#2, Baan Nam Kem, Tamboon Bang Moung, Aumphur Takuapa, Phang Nga Province. I am student of ETC Program, It my only one hope and new hope for my new life after tsunami that destroy many thing in my life, and tsunami took my parent away from me i had lost my house and everything i been have in my life, now i starting have my new life But still have some one that not a good person try to destroy us, and we have no idea who is it? And i want to tell people that get this letter to not believe in this letter because it not true at all. Now i almost finish from this program and it going very good we been working a lot and help many thing in this area. If everyone have time we want you to come to visit us here, And thank you for all your help. And happy new years for everyone.

Thank you so much,
Praseart Suwanpraseart (Tid)
Baan Nam Kem, Khao Lak

Hello everyone,

My name is Surin Samsun (Boo), My home is Satun Province and close to the ocean also, I been worked at Phi Phi for beach clean up after tsunami. Now i was in ETC program for 5 month, i got a lot a good thing from this program, because i get the computer training, Diving, Marketing, And English Training also, All that i never know before that why i say this program give me a new life for me and all my parent and my family need me and hope i will help the family had a good life even now i still have to sent money back to my parent every month. If i don’t have this program i only can be a fisher man for all my life never know a wild life at all.
We want to beg from people who wrote about this letter to stop and think the way that they lie to us don’t do that kept your time helping people or do a good thing like Mr. Reid and Mr. Pascal does. Because they don’t know anything what we do and what we don’t. We can prove to everyone what we working on and how many good thing we done. Believe in us Please.

Thank you very much,
Surin Samsun (Boo)

Hello everyone.
My name is Champ Sorsomboon. My address is 121, Moo#4, Tamboon natimenuoy , Amper moung, Trang province, 92190. I was working at Phi Phi for 5 years before the Tsunami came.
I am student from ETC program, ETC is help me many things in my life. Computer, Diving, English, nature and environment when i finish this program i think i will have a good future. I so shock about this letter and i am so sad about this, i don’t know why they want to destroy us i already lost many things already and i don’t want to lost this program again. Please don’t kill us. We will continue on this program again.
Thank you
Champ

Hello everyone,

My name is Orrathai Chowkwean, (Jeaw). My address is 41/62, Moo#2, Baan Nam Kem, Tamboon Bang Mowng, Amphur Takuapa, Phang Nga Province, 82190.

I am a student ETC program, ETC is help me many thing in my new life like diving, Computer, English, Learn about nature and environment when i finish this program i think i will have a new life and better life. Now i learn about how to make a good career and fix problems. I so shock about this letter and i am so sad about this, i don’t know why they want to destroy us i already lost many thing already and i don’t want to lost this program again. Please don’t destroy us.

We will continue on this program again.

Thank you so much.
Orrathai Chowkwean. (jeaw)
Khao Lak

Hello,

My name is Niparat Kanommon (Kung)
I stay in Khao Lak 2 years ago I am survivor from Tsunami after that I came to the ETC program is program teach me Diving, Marketing, English and Computer. I have a new life after I came to the program. I hope the program stay a longtime because mow one man try to stop the program this man is lier to our sponsor please don’t believe everything he said.

Kung
From Khao Lak

Hello everyone,

My name is Amphant Foosanit (Pan), I come from Lam Pang Province and north of Thailand, But i been working at Khao Lak for 5 years, the time that tsunami happen i was at Khao Lak area and lost many thing also and i have no job and i have to take care my child too, i feel so sad and give up my own life because i already 42 years old now and i have no idea what i can work in Thailand. And after that i heard a news from ETC open for every young thai people first time i think “I can stay in this program? I am not a young people anymore”. But i still want to try and ETC gave me a change to join in this program, and i feel so great because ETC teach me to be strong and i had learn many things and know a lot of things that i never know and make my life change a lot, it seem like ETC gave me a new life, first time i really fear about the water after tsunami but i learn about diving and i had no fear anymore, English also i never know english but now i understand can read can write, Computer too. I’m so proud of my self that i can be in ETC. And i have to say thanks for people that support me and help me a lot. And we can improve about our program and we will finish this program and do a good job for everyone that been helping us. Even have some one that want to destroy us, we will fight for it for our life and for another people that want to be in this program, we all been working for 5 month and have only 4 month left we will finish and go out to have a good job for our future. I want to tell everyone ETC is my home and it my home for knowledge, and i really love this home so much. Please believe in us.

Thank you so much
Amphant Foosanit

I stay at Khao lak area.

Hello everyone,

My name is LES I come from phi phi island. When I come in the ETC I have a big dream and I am working very hard to make my dream happen. I want to say something to this person who write this letter. I want use to know if I don’t have ETC I have no idea what I have to do.
Please don’t try broke the ETC program because same at you take my dream go away. I know REID and PASCAL for six month I see them everyday dream work very hard. They work very hard Tsunami take many thing from me but Tsunami give a ETC. I am 17 years old. I want to be a professional Divemaster and I do know Mr. Reid and Mr. pascal they will make this happen for me.

Les
ETC student

Hello everyone,

My name is Banya Keadnui (Jack), I am a student from ETC, I saw the letter that wrote about us really bad and a lot of lies so i am feel bad and shock about it. I come from Phi Phi island but i am not born at Phi Phi i been worked at Phi Phi for 6 years. Until i got hit from tsunami i really lucky that i still survive and i had lost many of people i know and i had no job. After tsunami i came back to my home for 4 month after that i came back to Phi Phi for clean up for 4 month. So i met one lady name nui she was told me about the ETC program. Now i been work and learned at ETC program for 5 month, this program is very helpful and really good program for people have no job and don’t know a lot a things. Everyone in this program really hope when they finish from this program we will fine a good job and have a good life in the future. I don’t know why the people wrote this letter and really bad letter about us, we had working a lot and learning a lot also but why they doing this to us, we feel really sad and only 4 month left we will finish this program and hope we will do something great for our country and bring tourism back to us again. Please believe in us and we will show you all what is good thing we done for this land.

Thank you so much,
Banya Keadnui (Jack)

104/1, Moo#2, Tamboon Lemsom, Aumphur Palean, Trang Province, Thailand 92180.

Hello,

My name is Kanjana Chunjit ( Kwan )
I’m student from E.T.C the E.T.C teach me about English, Computer, Video, Marketing and Diving. I stay with my family at Khao Lak for long time before Tsunami. I came to E.T.C for 5 months already now. I worked very hard sometime we still work on Sunday. I’m surprise when I saw the letter what they say it lie. I wait for long time have a new life but this persen they wrote this letter only short time. May be They can broke my dream Pleas come to see by your eyes in E.T.C.

Kwan
ETC student
Khao Lak

Hello everyone,

My name is Deo I worked on Phi Phi Island before Tsunami came. Now I stay with ETC program this program give me a new life I can find a good job when I finish the program but now has some body try to stop the program he try to lie to our sponsors and said everything lie please don’t believe him the program still run for help the peoples for next years. That man just lier because he don’t like the program.
Anucha Jangho ( Deo )

ผมชื่อเดี่ยวคับ ชื่อจริง อนุชา แจ้งโห้
ผมทำงานบนเกาะพีพีก่อนสึนามิจะมาแต่ตอนนี้ผมได้เข้าร่วมกับโครงการ ETC โครงการนี้ให้ชีวิตใหม่กับผมหลังจากผมจบจากโครงการนี้ผมสามารถหางานที่ดีได้ แต่ตอนนี้มีคนบางคนพยายามที่จะทำลายโครงการด้วยการโกหก ชายคนนี้ได้เขียน E-mail ถึงสปอนเซอร์ด้วยการโกหกต่างๆนาๆเพื่อที่จะหยุดโครงการนี้ กรุณาอย่าเชื่อบุคคลนี้ตอนนี้โครงการยังดำเนินการต่อจนจบและยังคงทำต่อไปเพื่อคนรุ่นต่อไป ชายคนนี้เป็นแค่คนโกหกเพราะว่าไม่ชอบโครงการนี้จึงมีความคิดที่จะทำลายและผมจะดำเนินการตามกฏหมายกับชายคนนี้ในทางส่วนตัว.

Anucha Jangho ( Deo )
ETC student

Dear everyone,

What ETC has done for me after December 26th one year before now.
I would say ETC gave me a new life, taught me how to live, and gave me a future,Right now I do know what will happen to me in 4 months, After completing the program I will be a Professional Diving teacher, I know how to use a Computer, and how to read and speak English, If I didn’t have ETC I couldn’t have what I have right now.
Please don’t try to broke the program I’m one of students in the program I sure about this program can give me a new life we worked very hard every day.

Nui Wanisa from Khao Lak.