Far from a conventional
houseboat, the shelters are more akin to floating tents, with canvas
roofs to keep out the sun and rain and metal sides.
Patcharapol Panrak
The Royal Thai Navy built and delivered floating
shelters for flood victims in hard-hit Ayutthaya as Sattahip-based SEALs
distributed relief packages.
Capt. Apakorn Yukongkaew, deputy commander for the
Sea, Air and Land division, handed out 4,000 care packages of food,
medicine and water Oct. 20, even as the Navy’s base in Thonburi, Bangkok
began setting large raft houses afloat.
The base is pumping out 10 of the 3-by-6-meter rafts
a day. Each can support 15 people or 1.2 tons and carries 200 liters of
fuel. Far from a conventional houseboat, the shelters are more akin to
floating tents, with canvas roofs to keep out the sun and rain and metal
sides.
The navy needs more raw materials to construct more
rafts. Those interested in donating can contact the Thonburi Naval Base
at 02-475-439.
