They’re donating 1400 hot meals a day, as well as other necessities.

By Aiden Jewelle Gonzales

Over the weekend, while we were still reeling from the sobering effects of Thailand’s latest COVID-19 wave, Bangkok received more bad news in the form of a new cluster that began in the Khlong Toey slums. As of last Sunday, over 300 people from the area have been infected, with numbers expected to rise exponentially. However, despite this grim setback, many in the community have once again stepped up to the plate and proved that generosity and compassion can still prevail. 

The Thum Dee Dai Dee initiative, started during the lockdown last year, was borne out of the plight of taxi drivers who were working for 14 hours only to get a meagre THB 40 as repayment. Volunteers flocked to contribute to the cause, and thousands of meals were distributed over a timeline of 49 days. This year, Thum Dee Dai Dee has joined hands with the Indian Women’s Club, Sunrise Tacos, Dinner from the Sky, and Bangkok Community Help to aid those in the COVID-ravaged Khlong Toey area. The initiative is delivering hot meals, non-perishable food, medicines, and vitamin supplements to the community there, and is currently averaging 1400 hot meals a day. 

Megha Srisethi, the co-founder of the Thum Dee Dai Dee initiative, had this to say:

“It is always so remarkable to witness the resilience and generosity of our communities, especially our Thai-Indian community, who are always ready to contribute and serve at any and every opportunity.  As a community, sewa (service) is in our DNA and we are thankful for everyone’s support in ensuring we can provide some respite to the hardest hit communities within Khlong Toey.”

We also reached out to Geetha Rattanaphas, the president of the Indian Women’s Club, who said of the initiative: 

“The Indian Women’s Club is comprised of mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, nieces, and aunts. We suffer with everyone who suffers, and we try to do our part as members of society. We are so lucky and fortunate to have members who’ve stepped up at this time of need, who are so full of empathy and generosity, so that we could collectively extend a helping hand to those in need. We hope that we were able to bring a smile and some relief to those who have been affected by this.”

For more information about the initiative or how to contribute, visit:

Thum Dee Dai Dee
DeeMoney
Indian Women’s Club Bangkok
Sunrise Tacos
Dinner from the Sky
Bangkok Community Help