19th December: Paint it FORWARD

On Sunday, December 18th, Baan Arsa Jaidee supported volunteers (including musicians and art teachers) from United Thailand as they visited Huay Kraud School, a small, rural school in the heavily flood affected province of Lop Buri. Volunteers not only delivered food, clothes, books and materials for the school and local community, but enjoyed a day of art-based activities during which the students painted their responses to the floods and the reconstruction efforts.  For more details, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/events/255264344526782/

Baan Arsa Jaidee specifically supported:
Transportation of volunteers and goods to Lop Buri (10,000 Baht)
Community water filter (10,000 Baht)
50% support for a usable PC for the school (12,000 Baht)
Art supplies for the school (5,000 Baht)
Basic food supplies (5,000 Baht)
Clothes for the cool winter season (8,000 Baht)

Thailand suffers the worst floods in five decades.  Heavy monsoon rains  have led to severe flooding across 28 Provinces.   Millions of people are affected.  Over 800,000 have

already lost their homes. Hundres have lost their lives.

Floodwaters across Bangkok. Although inner Bangkok remains dry, protecting the city has come at a  high cost: much of  Western and Northern Bangkok have been hit by over 1m of water.  Even as water begins to recede in some areas, others face  weeks of inundation as water drains to south the sea.

Many people have lost everything, and desperately need access to food and clean water, medicine, toilets, boats and clothes.

 This video was made October 24th.  The situation has changed since, but remains very serious and continues to affect millions.  For updates on the situation, please see our posts below.

Details of recent donations made specifically with funds from this website, Thailandflood.org and from carwash fundraisers:

23/11/2011 - Currently on order in response to requests made by flood evacuation centres:
• Plastic wading pants (200 pairs to be shared by women in ~10 communities to reduce infections resulting from exposure to contaminated water) = 50,000 Baht
• Canned fish = 30,000 Baht
• Rice = 60,000 Baht
• Cucumbers = 10,000 Baht

15/11/2011 - Goods delivered to Burmese migrant workers trapped in a factory north of Bangkok and unable to return home:
• Assorted food goods = 70,000 Baht

14/11/2011 - Donations based on requests from regional evacuation centres:
• Food donations for
• Rice (60 50kg sacks) = 60,000 Baht
• Tinned fish = 6870 Baht
• Trash bags (51 sets) = 2,652 Baht
• Infant forumla = 19, 155 Baht
• Cookies, tissues, rice = 13,800 Baht

LOCATION AND VOLUNTEERING

Volunteers are welcome daily from 2pm.  Major activities are making rafts (out of PVC pipe, bamboo and used water bottles), and EM balls, which are used to reduce waterborne disease.

AMC Building,  Phaholyothin Road, Samsennai, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400 Thailand.
Located 200 m. from the Sanam Pao BTS Station.

Hotline number: +66 (0) 85503-1819

November 19th Update: Aid provided this week

In the past week, Baan Arsa Jaidee provided:


500 bags of food and basic supplies to 3 flooded communities -- 200 bags to Don Muang area, 200 bags to a  University near Ratchada area, 100 bags to the travel police to give to people in Pratum Thani.

Supplies to 4 evacuation centers in Bangkok and in the perimeter, including 20 50-kg bags of rice, 10   boxes of instant noodles, 300 cans of sardines, 600 sets of medication, 4 boxes of fish sauce, 100 kg  of fresh cucumbers.


Such basic relief is still necessary across wide areas of Northern and Western Bangkok and Central Thailand.
Thank you again for your kind support.

November 17th Update

Baan Arsa Jaidee and inner Bangkok are, reportedly, no longer at immediate risk of inundation, while other parts of the city continue to flood.

The Nation: Eight more neighbourhoods told to evacuate

Donations are currently being used to purchase and distribute food and baby formula (exact details of purchases to follow).

We would especially like to recognise a generous donation by THAIS@Stanford, which held a number of successful fundraisers in support of flood relief.  We also extend special thanks to the American-Thai Foundation for their support.

Thank you for your continued help and encouragement.

November 8th Update

Baan Arsa Jaidee featured on CNN International, interview with co-ordinator, Rungsun Munkong.

Floodwaters will soon reach the Centre and parts of downtown Bangkok, with Chatuchak District, immediately north of Baan Arsa Jaidee, now evacuated.  Water volumes and timing remain uncertain, but there remains some optimism that pumping and drainage systems will save the inner city from the worst.
(Latest: Five of the eight pumps managing the canal immediately north of the Centre have just broken)

Business Week: Bangkok orders more evacuatiosn as floods encircle Thai capital

The situation in Central Thailand and Bangkok's Northern and Western regions remains dire, with ongoing concern over the risk of disease. There have been two deaths as a result of leptospirosis and at least one reported case of cholera.  Skin-related diseases and rashes have become a problem according to frontiline teams, as people are exposed to filthy water.  Baan Arsa Jaidee now also distributing iodine, antibacterial cream and ointments.  Access to clean food and water are ongoing concerns.

Baan Arsa Jaidee Fundraising
Donations through this site have topped US$2,000, with partner Thailandflood.org raising over ~US$1,500.

On Sunday, approximately 40 Baan Arsa Jaidee volunteers - both Thai and many foreigners - held a fundraiser cleaning car windows at busy intersections.  In partnership with Thailandflood.org and Wipe the Tide, volunteers raised over 100,000 Baht  (~US$3,200) for flood relief.

Thank you for your continued support.