Homeless family of 3 living under bridge in Thailand receives 800,000 baht assistance

A homeless family of three received over 800,000 baht (US$23,000) in donations after living in makeshift housing under a bridge. The homeless father and two teenage daughters have since closed donation channels, promising to use the funds wisely and cautiously.

In Phetchaburi province, Thailand, a journalist highlighted the homeless plight of 15 year old Daladit Somboonsri, a student at Bang Ta Boon Witthaya School, and her younger sister, 13 year old Thanisara Somboonsri. The sisters have been living under the Bang Ta Boon Floating Bridge with their father, 47 year old Rungchai Somboonsri, for more than 10 years. Their home consisted of walls made from corrugated sheets, a small bamboo-floored bedroom, and a crumbling bathroom surrounded by foul-smelling, stagnant water, KhoaSod reported.

The family’s homeless plight caught the attention of Local Authority Chief Saran Kettuthong, who organised temporary housing for them at a nearby police flat. The flat had been abandoned and unused but after coordination with the chief of Pak Ao Bang Ta Boon Temple and Pol. Capt. Chanchai Srisamran, the officer in charge of Bang Ta Boon police station, the family was granted temporary residence.

With this help and the overwhelming generosity of donations received, totalling over 800,000 baht the family has decided to close the channels for donations moving forward.

Daladit, one of the students affected, expressed gratitude for the support and pledged to use the funds prudently, ensuring that it would make a difference in their lives.

Homelessness in Thailand is a big problem.

Late last year, it was stated that providing shelter and jobs for Bangkok’s homeless was an “uphill battle.”

Deputy Bangkok Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon made such comments after meeting with city officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations. A meeting to discuss homelessness in Thailand’s capitol and to develop ways to find shelter and jobs for them was arranged in October last year.

Sanon says those who have recently become homeless, need more job opportunities to earn an income and pursue a normal life. He added that certain rules need to be eased to help them find employment. He categorised the homeless population by dividing them into groups of chronically homeless, the newly homeless and those living with psychiatric problems. Then, he noted that the newly homeless accounted for the largest group of homeless people in the city. Read more HERE.