many people wrote on
sfgary's diary about the email he got from a friend of his who survived the tsunami:
is this a legitimate email? is this just another urban legend?
well, a reader on my blog pointed out that the sfchron did a follow up to this man's ordeal: and apparently, the state dept. did nothing but give the guy the run-around. read it below the fold:
a bruised and cut-up paul landgraver expected help from the u.s. government after he survived the tsunami that devastated southern asia. instead, he said he got little but a bureaucratic run-around.
landgraver, a u.s. citizen who had been living in thailand since 2001, said he had watched in envy as other foreigners in thailand were treated better by their respective governments. many were flown home for free.
landgraver, who had lost everything including the clothes he was wearing, had no such luck.
at a time of crisis, landgraver said, the government failed to provide proper assistance.
"it was really frustrating," said landgraver. "my last line of hope was to go to the embassy and that they would take care of me. everyone i knew (from other countries) was going home on chartered flights. i was denied any aid."
state department spokesman lou fintor said the government chartered flights only in special circumstances, such as when commercial flights are unavailable or during emergency evacuations.
landgraver, 33, returned to the bay area on new year's day after begging his way onto a japan airlines flight to san francisco international airport, he said.
he is recovering from minor injuries and a nasal infection, but he remains upset that he was almost stranded in bangkok.
landgraver lived in san francisco before moving to khao lak, just north of phuket, thailand, to be teach scuba diving three years ago. after the tsunami, he and his swedish girlfriend -- wearing borrowed t-shirts and shorts -- hitchhiked 500 miles to bangkok in hopes of finding their way home.
their first stop was the swedish embassy, where landgraver said they were given sandwiches. the embassy gave his girlfriend, karin sundelius, a slip of paper that identified her as a swedish citizen and guaranteed her a seat on a government-chartered plane for sweden the next day.
landgraver said, however, that he had received a no-fee replacement passport from the u.s. embassy five hours after applying for it, as well as a toothbrush and a crime-thriller paperback.
landgraver said the embassy had offered him and other americans loans of $100 on the condition that they be repaid within 14 days. he said he had been told a larger loan that would cover his air fare home required vouchers from three people in the united states stating that he could repay the money. but the process, he was told, could take up to a week.
"i was so mad i didn't say anything," said landgraver, who didn't want to wait to come home.
we can't give you a ride home, but here's a replacement passport, a toothbrush, and the new john grisham. thanks for stopping by the us embassy!