Thai students at Brown have been working vigorously in the wake of intense flooding in Thailand to fundraise for their communities and raise awareness on campus about the issue.
Members of the Thai Students Association, who typically organize cultural events, took on more serious responsibilities following the destructive floods in order to "be part of the effort of all Thai people," said Nichaluk Leartprapun '14, the association's vice president.
"The main goal was spreading awareness throughout the Brown community" so more students would talk about the issue and create a broad-based response, said Leartprapun.
To facilitate donations to the effort, the association set up a PayPal account. "It's hard for foreigners to make sense of the Thai websites for donation," Leartprapun said.
Association members also fundraised by selling baked goods and souvenirs they had brought from Thailand to remind them of home.
"Almost all Thai students were involved in the effort," said Alisa Chalerychit '15, who is from Bangkok.
In the end, the group has sent about $600 back home to support the Red Cross in its relief efforts. With one Thai baht amounting to $0.0324, the contribution can make a difference, said Natcha Wattanatorn '13, president of the association.
Though the worst of the floods has passed, the impact is just beginning to sink in, with new data predicting the social and economic consequences of the disaster.
More than 600 were killed in the floods, according to the Washington Post, and the nation's crop output and industrial production suffered. "My family now has to travel by boat," Wattanatorn said. "My relatives got affected by these floods."
Around 600,000 Thai citizens are now unemployed, according to the New York Times. "Thailand's central bank has cut this year's forecast of economic growth from 4.1 percent to 2.6 percent. Private economists say the impact of the flood could be even greater," the Times reported.
The University has made an effort to reach out to Thai students who are dealing with difficult news on a daily basis. The Office of Student Life sent a message to all Thai students Oct. 27 offering ongoing support to any student who needs it.
"We realize that this natural disaster may have touched many of you, your families and friends very personally," the email read. "The Office of Student Life encourages you to reach out as needed … for any assistance you may need, academically or otherwise, now and through the remainder of the semester."
For Chalerychit, the message conveyed a welcome sentiment that the University cares about its Thai population and is not blind to turmoil happening far away. "They really reached out to us, which is really nice," she said.
The University is also willing to take financial steps to support Thai students if needed.
The Institute of International Education, an independent non-profit that funds international exchanges and manages the Fulbright program, recently created an Emergency Student Fund to help Thai students studying in the U.S. shoulder tuition costs if their financial situations have been disrupted by the flooding, according to the Institute's website.
But in order for a student to receive this support, a campus official must apply on the student's behalf.
"If any student approaches us and displays a need, then we should do something about it," said Oludurotimi Adetunji, assistant dean of the College. "Anything that will benefit the students."
