Thai Flood Disaster Relief and Projects

In the fall of 2011, Thailand suffered its worst flooding in over 50 years. Hundreds of thousands of homes were inundated with water. Seven large industrial parks flooded and many business operations ground to a halt, displacing approximately 650,000 Thai workers.

Now the floods are starting to recede and the Thai government is coordinating efforts to assist Thai homeowners and businesses alike. Many US companies have also actively provided assistance, and we anticipate that more will become involved once flood waters recede further.

The US Commercial Service at the American Embassy in Bangkok has received inquiries from US companies looking to provide assistance or participate in rebuilding projects. Given the scope of the flooding, Thailand’s national government, municipalities, and private companies will be looking to source equipment, services and machinery for restructure, manufacturing, and repairs. While many of these plans are in development, we are working with the Thai government to determine what will be needed. US businesses looking for more details can contact our office at office.bangkok@trade.gov.

It is important to note that US company personnel coming to Thailand to provide services or conduct assessments, even for short assignments, should be prepared to comply with Thailand’s work visa requirements. In order to receive a Thai work permit, a company, foreign government, or other organization in Thailand must file an application on the behalf of the work visa applicant. For details on that process, please contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. websites.

For US companies with operations in Thailand, a useful resource that provides an overview of key issues that may need to be addressed is the “Thailand Flood Disaster Recovery Guide”.