Lanta Ghost Town

On Open Street Maps’ contributor app, I’m walking around marking places as vacant.

When we arrived on Koh Lanta from the speed boat, I thought this must be a strange edge of town: duffel bag under my arm, dodging the calls from rickshaw drivers since my hotel is so close. I walked right to the dive shop, past a full row of restaurants on piers. Every one of the restaurants were fully staffed, someone at the door to call out, each asking for custom. Everything else closed. Every restaurant empty.

I thought it was maybe the time of day, too early in the morning, or too hot, or anyway that surely there must be more people somewhere.

I think now that this is what COVID looks like in a tourist town. There are barely motorbikes on the streets. The open air market we wandered into today had no open stalls, fully shuttered, the only occupant a man napping in a hammock he’d strung across the walkway.

Dogs fight in the streets; cats lounge fully still in the heat. There is this strange skeleton crew of people living here, but how can this last? I haven’t seen any other guests at the hotel, just the smiling woman at the front desk who calls out greetings every time we pass. The pool is empty. The beach is empty. Even the clinic is fully staffed, with few customers. No wonder they were so ready to come to our hotel to give the COVID tests we’ll need tonight.

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