What is Children’s Day?
January 11th 2020 marked Children’s Day in Thailand, or ‘waan dek (วันเด็กแห่งชาติ) in Thai language – a day that celebrates family togetherness the aim of which is to firstly to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children and secondly to initiate action to benefit and promote the welfare of the world’s children. Children’s Day is held across the world on different dates, in Thailand being the 2nd week of January and It provides an opportunity for parents to bond with their children through various events which take place whether it be a discounted attraction such as a zoo or park or simply a local village gathering to play games and play with other children.
Stunning scenery in Mae Ngao National Park
The Trip to Baan Teephalae
Unfortunately for many rural communities there is little in the way of opportunity to celebrate children’s day, this could be in part due to demographics of the community, or circumstances of the families living in these regions or it could simply not be an option due to economic hardships. This is why Thai Eco Solutions sponsored a Children’s Day event and joined the Maewang Offroad club and Hin Noon volunteers to drive several hours south of Chiang Mai city to Omkoi district and deep within Mae Ngao National Park to a small village called Baan Teephalae to donate toys and other gifts to the children as well as to play games for an afternoon. The toys were generously donated by individuals as far afield as Bangkok as well as corporations and organizations. The drive through Mae Ngao was via dirt roads passing through beautiful mountain scenery, passing rivers and meandering through small farms and forest.
The drive to the remote village of Baan Teephalae
Once in the village the kids and their families enjoyed some food provided by the volunteers before enjoying the games and activities as well as playing with their new toys. Many villagers as well as volunteers took a dip in the river late in the afternoon which was surprisingly cold! Due to the remoteness of the location, Thai Eco Solutions and volunteers camped the night next to the idyllic river which flows past the village where temperatures reached as low as 10 degrees C in the evening. The next day the volunteers headed to Mae Ngao National Park headquarters and stayed another night before finally onto Chiang Mai.
Volunteers and staff from Thai Eco Solutions
Children gather in the school
Thai Eco Solutions would like to thank everyone who supported the event and we look forward to more in the future!
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