SOS Children in Thailand
The Kingdom of Thailand, formerly Siam, lies in the heart of South East Asia. It is a country in transition, moving from an agricultural to an industrial-based economy. However, due to the uneven distribution of wealth, environmental degradation and the effects of urbanisation, large disparities in socio-economic welfare remain. Much of the population, particularly in the countryside, lives in extreme poverty.
Over 6 million people live in the capital Bangkok, the most densely populated area in the country. Many are migrants from rural areas, living in appalling conditions in the city's teeming slums. The large-scale sex industry, which flourishes in Bangkok, has contributed greatly to an increase in HIV infections, which continues to be a major concern for the Thai government.
SOS Children's first village in the country was built in Bangkok in 1972, and since then, three more villages have been established.
The SOS Children's Village Bangpoo (Bangkok) is located in one of the capital's suburbs and is made up of twelve family houses and a youth home. Like most SOS Children's Villages it has its own nursery school, attended by local children as well as those from the SOS village.
In 1990, the charity built a community in Hatyai, in the south of the country, near the Malaysian border. Hatyai is the main city in the south and a large commercial centre. The SOS Children's Village is built on the site of a former rubber plantation about 20km outside the city on the main road to Malaysia. It has twelve family houses and a youth house for 20 older boys, as well as a nursery for 75 children.
The third village is in the provincial capital of Nongkai, on the river Mekong on the northern border with Laos, a mainly agricultural area. The village has eleven family houses built in the traditional local style and a nursery, and is situated close to the city's modern government district. The charity has also built a house for older boys, in Udonthee, 55 km from Nonkgkai, with room for 14 youngsters.
In December 2006, a fourth SOS village was opened in Chiang Rai, close to the northern borders with Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. The opening of the village was a landmark for the charity, being the 450th SOS Children's Village to be opened around the world. The 14 family houses will provide 140 children with a new family home, and the nearby SOS Nursery will provide both these and other children from the local community with a solid basic education.
Local contacts
SOS Children Thailand
18 Moo 3, Soi Boonsiri
Sukumvit Road
10270 Samutprakarn / Thailand
Tel +66/2/380 46 82
Fax +66/2/756 20 29
email: sosthai@bkk4.loxinfo.co.th
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