Volunteering In Bangkok

[thaibeachlovers]

I'm interested in helping. No idea where to start. No work permit.

Thanks for ideas.

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Worked hard for 5 hours today with the residents of our village in surburban bangkok trying to stop the water coming through the walls in the fields surrounding our village.

dont know if will work but felt good everyone pulled together.

As for a work permit? dam_n i better hide my passport

Get out to the surburbs but to be honest you might get stranded here ifd the worst happens.

[paulian]

I worked with World Vision for a while in Pattaya and found it interesting, fun and fulfilling. They have offices in bangkok.

World Vision Foundation of Thailand

582/18-22 Sukhumvit 63,

Klongton, Wattana

Bangkok 10110

Tel. (02)381-8863-5

Fax: (02)711-4100-1,(02)381-2034

Webstie: http://www.worldvision.or.th

E-mail Address: [email protected]

http://www.worldvision.or.th/index_eng.html

[Kananga]

Do you speak Thai fluently? If not, donate money (if you have any). Some of the banks are giving out aid.

If you absolutely must get involved, suggest you contact the Church. No doubt they will be involved.

From what I've seen on Thai tv, the relief effort is pretty much as staffed as it needs to be, and I can't see where a non Thai speaker would be of any assistance, unless you want to go and help sweep all the shit and rubbish off the streets, once the floods have receded.

[hullupullo]

If You are talking about helping on this flood situation,check this out

http://www.facebook.com/ThaiFloodEng?sk=wall

[Kananga]

It would seem that the organisers on that facebook page are looking for donations and supplies, so not really relevant to this OP.

[hullupullo]

So what these post are then? And I don't know what OP want do, that's why put "if are talking about flood"

16/10 Urgent!!Volunteers needed btw 16:00-19:00 Stand By and help The soldiers carry sandbags contact Pom 086-674-0032 #SiamArsa #ThaiFloodEng

Volunteers needed at Klong 6 to build the sandbag wall, need 500 people (24 hours) both male & female for all kinds of works #siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

Urgent!! the small buses running between DonMaung-Klong 6 (4 rounds/day every 6hours) to pick up volunteers in building a wall of sandbags #ThaiFloodEng

Volenteers needed (16 Oct) for rice packing of 6,00 bags at Infantrydivision 11( start 8 am) cr @siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

16/10 5.30am Urgent! Needed volunteers for fill more sandbag at Chula watergate Rangsit market (Rangsit-Phatum31 rd) cr @siamarsa #thaifloodeng

Urgent!! Needed 500 volunteers for fill sandbag at Klong6 Phatumtanee 24 hrs because this area's critical!! cr @siamarsa #Thaifloodeng

16Oct, volunteers needed for survival kits packing at Democrat Party, start 13.00hrs onwards, kindly bring along the canned fish. Cr @Siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

[WarpSpeed]

So what these post are then? And I don't know what OP want do, that's why put "if are talking about flood"

16/10 Urgent!!Volunteers needed btw 16:00-19:00 Stand By and help The soldiers carry sandbags contact Pom 086-674-0032 #SiamArsa #ThaiFloodEng

Volunteers needed at Klong 6 to build the sandbag wall, need 500 people (24 hours) both male & female for all kinds of works #siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

Urgent!! the small buses running between DonMaung-Klong 6 (4 rounds/day every 6hours) to pick up volunteers in building a wall of sandbags #ThaiFloodEng

Volenteers needed (16 Oct) for rice packing of 6,00 bags at Infantrydivision 11( start 8 am) cr @siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

16/10 5.30am Urgent! Needed volunteers for fill more sandbag at Chula watergate Rangsit market (Rangsit-Phatum31 rd) cr @siamarsa #thaifloodeng

Urgent!! Needed 500 volunteers for fill sandbag at Klong6 Phatumtanee 24 hrs because this area's critical!! cr @siamarsa #Thaifloodeng

16Oct, volunteers needed for survival kits packing at Democrat Party, start 13.00hrs onwards, kindly bring along the canned fish. Cr @Siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

Yep looked relevant to me also the OP wasn't exclusive to physical help, but general about how he can help..

I have a neighbor who makes rice and sells it at various markets and we talked to them about us purchasing a couple of pick up truck loads of cooked rice and having them deliver it with us to Don Muang.. Think creatively there are a lot of ways you can help out. Thinking of the stressed children maybe even see about how much it would cost to purchase a small truck load of ice cream explaining to the supplier your intent so as to get the best possible price maybe cost or less if they want a PR opportunity as well and have it delivered and distributed to the stressed out children at Don Muang.. Or see about some stuffed toys or something? These things are not that expensive but would be greatly appreciated and provide them some comfort away from home..

[thaibeachlovers]

So what these post are then? And I don't know what OP want do, that's why put "if are talking about flood"

16/10 Urgent!!Volunteers needed btw 16:00-19:00 Stand By and help The soldiers carry sandbags contact Pom 086-674-0032 #SiamArsa #ThaiFloodEng

Volunteers needed at Klong 6 to build the sandbag wall, need 500 people (24 hours) both male & female for all kinds of works #siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

Urgent!! the small buses running between DonMaung-Klong 6 (4 rounds/day every 6hours) to pick up volunteers in building a wall of sandbags #ThaiFloodEng

Volenteers needed (16 Oct) for rice packing of 6,00 bags at Infantrydivision 11( start 8 am) cr @siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

16/10 5.30am Urgent! Needed volunteers for fill more sandbag at Chula watergate Rangsit market (Rangsit-Phatum31 rd) cr @siamarsa #thaifloodeng

Urgent!! Needed 500 volunteers for fill sandbag at Klong6 Phatumtanee 24 hrs because this area's critical!! cr @siamarsa #Thaifloodeng

16Oct, volunteers needed for survival kits packing at Democrat Party, start 13.00hrs onwards, kindly bring along the canned fish. Cr @Siamarsa #ThaiFloodEng

Yep looked relevant to me also the OP wasn't exclusive to physical help, but general about how he can help..

I have a neighbor who makes rice and sells it at various markets and we talked to them about us purchasing a couple of pick up truck loads of cooked rice and having them deliver it with us to Don Muang.. Think creatively there are a lot of ways you can help out. Thinking of the stressed children maybe even see about how much it would cost to purchase a small truck load of ice cream explaining to the supplier your intent so as to get the best possible price maybe cost or less if they want a PR opportunity as well and have it delivered and distributed to the stressed out children at Don Muang.. Or see about some stuffed toys or something? These things are not that expensive but would be greatly appreciated and provide them some comfort away from home..

Yes, my Thai wife doesn't want to donate money, for obvious reasons, but she's keen to do something like taking noodles down.

Thanks everyone that made constructive suggestions.

[thaibeachlovers]

Hmmm. My OP was probably a bit limited ( lack of time ), but to expand a bit, my wife and I would both like to do something in Bangkok to help out.

She has a nephew in Bkk with whom we can stay, and obviously my wife will take care of any communication problems for me.

What I was really after, is whether there are any other farangs helping in Bkk, and their experience, so I know if it's worth looking for something physical to do outside, or just going to Don Muang and helping with supplies.

[ricku]

Work permint? Really?

Foreigners needs work permit to voluenteer for helping flood victims?

But why am I suprised.. Thailand is indeed a land of ridiculous bureaucracy.

Edited October 16, 2011 by ricku

[thaibeachlovers]

Hmmmm. I have been watching the flood news on Thai tv and have seen no farangs helping anywhere. I can't believe that NO expats are helping. Though as one poster said, helping out with family, and I know that some foreign students were helping with sandbags.

However, I'm trying to find out from immigration about getting a work permit, and once that's sorted, I still hope to go down. Even if the flooding is over, the mess is going to take a long time to clean up.

[Rimmer]

One sarcastic and inflammatory post removed from view

[robblok]

Hmmmm. I have been watching the flood news on Thai tv and have seen no farangs helping anywhere. I can't believe that NO expats are helping. Though as one poster said, helping out with family, and I know that some foreign students were helping with sandbags.

However, I'm trying to find out from immigration about getting a work permit, and once that's sorted, I still hope to go down. Even if the flooding is over, the mess is going to take a long time to clean up.

Here in the village nobody cared i had no work permit for this. They were happy that i helped. But this is the village i live in.

[Kananga]

The Thai Immigration bureau will not give you a work permit. You are wasting your time. If you have any skills which organizations will find useful then they will sponsor you through the correct channels. Offer your services through them if you honestly believe you have anything worthwhile to contribute. Otherwise just give some money.

[thaibeachlovers]

The Thai Immigration bureau will not give you a work permit. You are wasting your time. If you have any skills which organizations will find useful then they will sponsor you through the correct channels. Offer your services through them if you honestly believe you have anything worthwhile to contribute. Otherwise just give some money.

Thank you for your response.

[Kananga]

You're more than welcome. Good luck with the volunteering. Make sure to let us know how you get on, I'll be keen to see what you end up doing.

[thaibeachlovers]

Will do.

[thaibeachlovers]

Having just read the new thread about how the US Navy has now withdrawn it's offer of help to the Thai people because "no one asked them" I have decided that I shall not go down myself to help.

While I feel sorry for the poor people that are suffering, there has come a time when I realise that no effort of mine, being that I would be of minimal help in the slow motion disaster that is unfolding, will make any difference because of the sheer incompetence of the authorities.

I have not forgotten that I was told by an immigration official that my help is "not wanted" either.

God help the people of Bangkok, because the people that should be saving them are just making things worse.

Refusing help from people that could make a difference! Just how bad do these politicians have to be for the "people" to understand that they have been sold a pup?

[Kananga]

There are plenty of foreigners in Bangkok who are helping and are being thanked for by the people for doing so. Sadly on the otherhand it would sen there are plenty of others who have come up with hilarious excuses why they shoudnt.

The Thai people will remember those that did help, regardless of the decisions of the authorities.

God help the people of Bangkok, because there are people who live in their country and are refusing to help on misplaced moral grounds (or was it because they thought they would get abducted for not having a work permit?) , even though every single person committed to helping will make a difference and there have been no reports of the thousands of foreigners helping out being incarcerated for doing their bit for the country they call home. <snip>

Edited October 25, 2011 by soundman
Removed inflammatory comment.

[soundman]

Each individual is entitled to make their own decision whether to donate money, goods, or time to the flood relief effort.

Pls. keep the discussion civil and refrain from deriding others over their decisions. Everyone's circumstances are different.

[Kananga]

LOL, never a truer word spoken. That's alright, I still got my point across loud and clear.

Anyway, instead of dwelling on those who have decided not to help out, lets all draw some inspiration from poster emilyb who wrote this on another post.

Nonthaburi Pier's rocking every day and night with a sandbagging station if anyone wants to pitch in. I missed today, my back was too sore after the last two days of it (turns out I'm not 19 anymore). Still, I live on the river and a neighbor's levee broke, flooding our river street briefly, so I had a chance to help repair that and to shore up some others today.

I know for sure about sandbaging stations at Siriraj and Nonthaburi Pier, but I see them everywhere when I drive around. If you live anywhere near a canal or the river in a busy area there'll be somewhere to help probably. Everyone's very happy to have you join in and it's especially good to go during the daytime, because, while it's hot, Thai attendance is down due to the sunlight (I know this sounds a little silly, but it's true), so it's a good time that they need more warm bodies. As soon as the sun starts to wane a bit the place fills up with volunteers.

EDIT: And, to echo those above, for the people wondering about immigration.work permits, it's not a concern, don't worry - just come on down and join up. For the moronic trolls here and there trying to scaremonger on the topic, please put a cork in it and stop trying to prevent people from helping in a disaster, you selfish pricks.

Summed it (them) up perfectly.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Kananga