On 15 December, Laos donated USD 200,000 in flood relief assistance to Thailand following severe flooding in the country’s southern region late last month.
On behalf of the Lao government, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phongsam Anlawan handed over the donation to Chiratsaya Piranon, Chargé d’Affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy to Laos during a courtesy meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vientiane.
Phongsam conveyed the Lao government’s deep sympathy for the people of Thailand, particularly those affected in nine southern provinces where flooding at the end of November caused significant loss of life and damage to property.
The donation came as flooding continued to affect large parts of southern Thailand following days of persistent heavy rainfall that began in late November.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, flooding across four southern provinces, including Songkhla, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Phatthalung, had killed at least 13 people and forced more than 1,200 residents in Songkhla alone to evacuate their homes.
While Thailand typically experiences heavy rainfall during the monsoon season from June to September, experts have warned that climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, increasing the frequency and severity of flooding in recent years.


