Surat Thani – This southern province now has 120 pantries of sharing to help the downtrodden in these difficult times and a foreign businessman, who was so impressed by Thai generosity, brought his family along to fill up one of them, PostToday reported this morning (16.5.2020).
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on across the world, Thai people realize the need to help the most vulnerable people, and similar to other parts of the country the people of Surat Thani have put food, drinks, medicine and other daily necessities in these pantries of sharing, also called pantries of happiness or pantries of kindness.
Of the 120 such pantries in this province, 42 of them are in Mueang district, 14 on Koh Samui and 12 in Kanchanadit district.
Attracting a lot of attention was the foreign businessman who runs an international school in this province after he and his family drove up and filled the pantry of kindness at Wat Dhammabucha Phra Aramluang in Mueang district with a lot of groceries.
Phra Khru Prasat Sornkhun, secretary to the abbot, said novices questioned him about his donation and he told them that he saw the kindness of Thai people in helping each other and this is very beneficial for the community.
He added that we all must share and see the value of helping fellow human beings.
Surat Thani Governor Wichawut Jinto said the groceries that the private sector donated to the administration include vegetable oil, rice, canned fish, eggs and drinking water.
Officials have gone around filling the pantries of sharing across the province but some of it was filled in bags and given directly to the elderly who cannot leave their homes.
The governor expects more such pantries to pop out across the province, pointing out that Surat Thani people have always supported each other.
PostToday’s reporter said that people living near these pantries have started looking after them.
One pantry, at the passenger pavilion in front of the City Hall, is being taken care of by motorcycle taxi drivers at a nearby stand who are taking turns to clean it, with some people having taken photos of them doing so and shared on social media.
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Filling up pantries with a lot of love and kindness. Photos: PostToday
