Navy accepting donations for cyclone relief

CAPE PANWA: The Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Command at Cape Panwa is accepting donations of food and equipment to provide emergency relief for victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

Appropriate items for donation include florescent strip lights and fittings, corrugated iron, canvas and tarpaulin for tents, dried and canned food, rice and drinking water.

The donations will be taken to the Royal Thai Navy headquarters in Bangkok then handed over to the Royal Thai Air Force to be transported to Myanmar by air and handed over to the Myanmar Air Force.

Donations can be taken to the Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Command at Cape Panwa between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm. For more information call Capt Dej Sreecharoen: 085-7862682.

Alternatively, charitable organization Helpline Phuket, formally Thaitanics, run by Tony Pope is collecting donations in Rawai.

Mr Pope will in turn hand over donated items to the Third Naval Command. Contact Mr Pope at Tel: 089-8724450 or Email: helpline.phuket@gmail.com

After initially blocking international aid from arriving due to “security concerns”, Myanmar officials started letting foreign aid into the country yesterday, 11 days after Cyclone Nargis devastated the region.

However, the junta will not allow mass direct aid to be provided. So far, donated items must be handed over to Myanmar officials to distribute.