Update; delivered yesterday the laptop and laser printer to Chookiat, the park manager.
They are opening a ”tourist office” to book the mangrove sunrise boat trips. The ”office” is his tiny home front porch, the location is okeish, close to tourist road. The inside of their home, can’t describe-super small, modest and poor.
The new business idea is Thai cooking class. Doing my best to help them.
Thank you for everyone donating so far, and thank you guys enabling me to deliver my aid to this community!
All the help goes directly to the ones needing it!
Please make even a small donation!
I want to share something that has genuinely stayed with me for a very real reason.
As I mentioned last autumn, I’m traveling to Thailand this February. There is a small mangrove village that I’ve been supporting remotely for the past two years. This isn’t a random place on a map; it’s a community I know personally.
Two years ago, I sent them one of my laptops, and helped them to setup a Paypal account. I also built and continue to cover the costs of their website:https://sunrisegondola.com/
The village earns its income by organizing early-morning mangrove boat tours. They also maintain the surrounding national park, care for orphaned children, and support access to education for those who would otherwise be left behind.
The village is far off from the tourist areas - it's a remote location (Thailand, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Tung Yee Peng Pier);
I’ve always been hesitant about large charity organizations. Not because the intent is bad, but because I never truly know where the money ends up, or how much disappears between layers of administration. This is why I choose to help this way: I can see exactly where the funds go, how they are used, and who they help.
Now, I’m asking for your help.
Even a small donation matters. And importantly: your donation goes directly to the village, without me acting as a middleman.
This is not a charity campaign filtered through organizations or platforms. This is about real people I know, in a place I am personally going to and making sure help reaches where it truly matters.
The village leader, Chookiat Kongjork (who is also the national park manager), and his wife have been quietly doing remarkable work for years.
They support abandoned children, elderly caregivers, and young people who have no access to public education. They don’t talk about “aid” in abstract terms - they talk about work.Simple, dignified jobs that create real income and real independence.
Right now, they are saving money to open a small travel agency. This is not about profit for profit’s sake. It is the key to operating legally and obtaining the right work permits so they can employ people who otherwise have no opportunities. Young people maintaining surroundings, cleaning boats, repairing worn-out buildings. People for whom regular employment has never been an option.
The next concrete step is purchasing five kayaks. These will be used for mangrove forest tours and will immediately create work for approximately 3–4 families. There are also plans to acquire a traditional longtail boat for snorkeling tours. Tourism has returned, and this is a moment that cannot be missed if the community is to build sustainable income instead of watching others pass them by.
Donations will be used directly for:
– education support for children (scholarships, school uniforms, supplies for 2026)– small, accessible work for elderly caregivers (such as processing tamarind into products for sale)– long-term income opportunities like kayak tours and the establishment of the travel agency
I want to be fully transparent. Their accounting system is not yet formal by Western standards. That is exactly why I am doing this the way I am. I will personally bring a new laptop and a laser printer to the village next week. I will be there myself - seeing where the funds go and helping them build a clearer, more transparent system so everything can be properly documented going forward. Thanks to you, I'm able to give my support directly to them, and you have the possibility to join the campaign!
What makes this special is how rare it is: a real chance to help without intermediaries, without administrative overhead, without vague promises. Person to person.
If you choose to be part of this, you are not just “donating.” You are directly changing someone’s everyday life, not in theory, but in practice.This isn’t a campaign for me. It’s a promise to make sure help truly arrives.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. 💚
You can donate with Paypal:
Add a note “Village donation 2026”
Even a small donation helps!
Thank you guys if you decide to be part of this! I will post photos when I'm there. This post will be removed and the fundraising for the charity closes at the end of February.
Jari