"This whole area was littered with commercialism," regular visitor Greg Ferrando told the Associated Press on Friday as he surveyed the damage in Phuket, Thailand. "There were hundreds of beach chairs out here. I prefer the sand."

"Everyone is talking about it. It looks much better now," he added. "This looks a lot more like Hawaii now, where vendors aren't allowed on the beach."

Phanomphon Thammachartniyom, president of the Phuket Professional Guide Association, agreed. "Nature has returned nature to us. I want it to be this way forever," he said.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that the tsunami swept away unplanned and possible illegal building, creating an opportunity to regulate growth.

"I have sent a team to collect information on damaged buildings, including hotels, resources and guest houses," he explained. "We need the quick restoration of the tourist facilities there, but we also have to establish restrictions for building."

Moriel Avital, a 24-year-old Israeli who lived on the island for four months, said there was a lesson in the tsunami.

"It's telling people not to mess with nature," she said. "Paradise should be paradise and should not become this civilized."

Surin Kaewjan, a 44-year-old fruit vendor on Patong Beach, said the tsnami has hurt her business, but said there was an upside to the disaster.

"Honestly, I love this nature," she insisted. "Twenty years ago, it was like this, and full of trees. I haven't seen the beach this white in ages."

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