Thai Flood relief

Taunton Vale Rotary Club has stepped in to help communities rebuild their lives following devastating floods in south East Asia.

Thailand declared its southern Songkhla province a disaster zone, after heavy rainfall left thousands stranded and at least 33 people dead.

Floodwaters were running as high as 2 metres in some areas, days after the province’s Hat Yai district received 335mm (13 inches) of rain in 24 hours, its highest rainfall total in a single day for three centuries.

Rotarians use boats to rescue survivors and distribute aid

More than 130 thousand people had to flee to avoid the rising floodwaters and thousands remain homeless.  The floods have damaged or destroyed critical infrastructure including hospitals, factories and schools.

Songkhla was one of the regions visited by Somerset Rotarians on a peace and friendship mission to Thailand in early 2025.

“A number of families we stayed with have had their homes flooded and all have been disrupted in one way or another” says Kathryn Robinson-Burge, President of Taunton Vale Rotary.

Living room under-water --------Working alongside emergency services

Taunton Vale Rotarians have allocated three thousand pounds to help Thai Rotary Clubs support and rebuild their local communities.  The initial plan is to provide basic equipment to local schools that have had books and other facilities ruined by the flood waters.

From Thailand, Charuwon Hautav writes – “On behalf of the Rotary Club of Songkhla, I would like to express our sincere thanks for bringing happiness to the young children at schools affected by the disaster.  You have been a great benefactor to them.”

People of Action - Rotary aid distribution