Habitat Thailand Participates In UN World Habitat Day * * * Enquiries from Public for Habitat’s Help

October 6, 2005

BANGKOK, 6th October 2005: To celebrate annual UN World Habitat Day, Habitat for Humanity Thailand joined other groups in staging an outdoor exhibition in the heart of the Thai capital to educate the public on poverty housing.

HFH Thailand’s program manager Suchart Vithayaprija said: “Our goal here is to reach as many poor families as we can in these five days we are here to help them understand how we can help them.”

The Habitat booth has already produced results.

Application: HFH Thailand’s Songpol Kinawong speaks with a visitor to the Habitat booth who wants to know about obtaining a home from Habitat

UN World Habitat Day: Habitat staffers Chalongrat Wongsicha, Porameth Wongsicha and Suchart Vithayaprija in front of the Habitat booth in Sanam Luang

Models of good and bad homes: visitors to the Habitat booth see a typical poverty home and a typical Habitat home in Thailand

“We have already been approached and asked us to help provide housing for more than 400 families in Samut Prakan, a community on the outskirts of Bangkok community, who are in need of proper shelter,” said Khun Suchart.

Several visitors to the booth asked for applications to apply for Habitat homes.

The five-day exhibition started on 3rd October – UN World Habitat Day – and was located in Sanam Luang, a popular open area by Bangkok’s famed Grand Palace. More than 20 non-governmental organizations and local government agencies had booths explaining housing issues.

This is the first time HFH Thailand has participated in such an event.