The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating help for Thai nationals affected by wildfires in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The ministry has received reports that some Thai nationals have already reached safety, either at a designated shelter or other unaffected areas.
The wildfires on Maui Island started on August 8 and the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles reported 89 fatalities as of Sunday (13 Aug). Kanchana Patarachoke, Director General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said some 5,000 Thai nationals are residing in Hawaii, according to a report in 2020. However, the number of Thai nationals residing on the island of Maui is unclear.
The ministry recently received reports through its contacts with Thai nationals in the area that some Thais had already evacuated to a designated shelter, or to an unaffected area. This included 12 Thai students participating in Hawaii’s Work and Travel program.
The ministry has, through the local Thai community, urged Thai nationals in the area to contact The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles in the designated Maui Rescue chat room on the LINE messaging application. The consulate general will be providing assistance to those whose travel documents are lost or damaged.
Thais whose relatives may have been in the disaster area are advised to contact the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles via the @thaiconsulate.la official account on the LINE messaging platform to receive more information. (NNT)
