“In October 2024, thousands of people in Chiang Mai and I experienced severe flooding. According to the news, it was the most severe flooding in history. There has never been a flood this severe before. Many areas that had never experienced flooding before did so because of heavy rain for several days, flash floods, and landslides in many areas. The water spread quickly and enormously in many areas of Chiang Mai Province, I was one of the victims.”

“I encountered flooding at parent’s house, my boyfriend’s house, the dormitory where l live, and the area around my workplace. On the day the water started to rise, I had to decide to evacuate because the water was about to enter my dormitory. But I couldn’t go to my parents or stay at my boyfriends house because the water had risen very high in both places. But I realized there was one place I could go: my workplace, Thai Village. It was the closest place to my dormitory and had four floors. Since all the roads were impassable, I decided to walk barefoot, wading through waist-deep water to my workplace.”

 

“I walked against the current, carrying my belongings and my cat, in the hot sun. This required taking breaks and took more than three hours for me to walk there. When I arrived at work, I felt relieved and thanked God that Thai Village allowed me, my boyfriend and my cat to stay there until the situation improved. The office did not have flood water in the building. There were rescue workers and police officers setting up a rescue center in front of the office. Thai Village also allowed the rescue workers to use the first floor as a place to stay until the water receded and the situation returned to normal.”

“When the water started to recede after 4-5 days of flooding (in some areas, there was flooding for more than two weeks), traces of the water level in each area were visible. There were huge amounts of garbage and mud all over the streets of Chiang Mai. People’s houses and shops were severely damaged. Thai Village set out to help clean the houses of people in the community. We helped more than 20 families clean up the mud, wiping the mud off the walls and floors. Many houses had doors and furniture made of weak materials, causing the furniture to rot. Many items had to be thrown away.”

 

Thai Village helped raise funds to provide over 100 pieces of replacement furniture to various families. Thank God for donors and friends who helped us during a great time of need! If you have a desire to give to ongoing relief needs please contact us or click here to donate today. Thanks!