For over two years, A-Phyu and her family have moved from their hometown in Myanmar to Phop Phra District, Tak Province, Thailand, hoping for a better life. She and her husband only hoped to have some jobs and income to provide for their 6-year-old and 3-year-old children. Even though the income from her husband’s daily wage labour, both in construction and agriculture, is not much, they are happy with their simple and sufficient life.
“We have been in Thailand for two years. We migrated here following my older sister. Now, I am a housewife taking care of our two children. My husband goes out to work. If he gets a construction job, he earns 300 baht a day. But if he gets agricultural work, his income drops to 150 baht a day. Even though it is not much, if we are frugal, we can manage. It is still better than living without any work back home,” A-Phyu shares about her life in Thailand.
However, their settled life took an unexpected turn when, at the end of 2024, Typhoon Yagi swept through Thailand, causing heavy rain, flash floods, and forest runoff in many provinces in the North. Mae Sot District, which is located next to the Moei River, could not escape this disaster.
Singkham Yamood, the village headman of Ban Huai Mae Mai, Phop Phra District, Tak Province, talks about what happened when the disaster struck, “At that time, the water came very quickly. Around two in the afternoon, the water in the river started to rise. At first, we thought we could manage the situation, but that was not the case. The water level increased rapidly. Around eight o’clock in the evening, I saw that the situation was critical, so I coordinated and requested assistance from the military. They brought boats in to help the villagers who were trapped. There were 27 people in total. If they had not received help in time, there could have been fatalities.”
A-Phyu and her family were among the affected people in that disaster. She says: “During the flood, we were left with absolutely nothing. We did not have time to prepare. Our belongings, clothes, and bedding were all washed away. Our house was uninhabitable, so we had to stay at the village headman’s place. There was no work available, no income. It was very difficult.”
During the darkest hours, World Vision Thailand came to help people affected by the flood in the area through the Northern Floods Recovery Project, which supported household items and bedding to alleviate the suffering of those affected.
“I am so happy to receive this help. The things we received are very useful for our family,” says A-Phyu with a hopeful smile.
Singkham says: “I would like to thank everyone so much for coming to help the villagers in this difficult time. I am truly grateful for them.”
This intervention is part of the Northern Floods Recovery Project, in which World Vision Thailand and its supporters have reached out to help people affected by the floods. The assistance is about giving not only physical supplies but also a beacon of hope, encouragement, and smiles for the affected people, enabling them to move forward on their journey again with stability.
