Mercy House Orphanage in Pranburi

bluezephyr

I will be over in April, But in HH the early part of May.

I would like to take some rice and essentials to the orphanage and my friend from Tippiwan says she would like to go also, Im sure i can find a few more people in the Samorpong/Tppiwan area who can come and bring some donations aswell.
Can people just turn up unanounced or would they like some warning that they will be visited?

Ive never been to an Orphanage before, Will it reduce me tears like it did when i sat drinking a the railway bar/restaurant and saw the people who live near the railway track.
What should i buy and take to make the most of what i can afford to spend/donate?
How many chidren stay there?
Also, Would anybody who's been there, Or hasnt but wants to go be up for it?

Im guessing it will be around the 5th May when i am in Hua Hin, I have transport but the cars probably full with people who i know will go.

Let me know please.
Tony
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barrys · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:15 am Post subject:

Hi Tony

Great to hear you intend visiting the Mercy House Orphanage in Pranburi.

It would be good to give them a call before you go, especially if there are several of you.

I would advise you to go at the weekend when the kids are off school.

It certainly won't reduce you to tears. The place is beautifully run by a Thai family and the kids are a delight. There are 24 of them between the ages of 3 and 16. They also do handicrafts there and have their own shop where you can buy delightful souvenirs at very low prices, with the proceeds going straight back into the orphanage.

As for what to buy them - we called them before we went the first time and asked the same question. The answer is they need just about everything. Just imagine you're buying day-to-day shopping items for an extremely large family.
We took rice, soap, toothpaste, cookies, milk, washing powder, Ovaltine, water, etc, etc - so ideally non-perishable items.
We were given a wonderful welcome and shown around the entire facility.

There's also a boy there who does some lovely art work - and he has no hands or feet. He's a really nice, modest lad and very proud of this work.
We've commissioned him to create the logo for one of our new tours and the results are great!!

If we can help you with any more info, please let us know.

By the way, on 21 February we're taking all 24 of the children on a day sea cruise to Monkey Island and Dolphin Bay on The Peacock. If there are 2 or 3 people who would like to go along to help out and meet the kids, they'd be very welcome.
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Barry Stone
Mermaid Cruises
Tel. 032-632223 (office)
084-8007400 (mobile)

www.huahincruises.com

kendo · Guru Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 700 Location: Southampton

It's really nice to read that you gents are doing something really nice for kids less fortunate.
I would imagine that pens, pecils, crayons, colouring books and jigsaws would go down a storm, and maybe a good quality football.

One thing in the U.K that my wife really loves is watching nature programme's like David Attinbourgh and the nature channel on Sky she is glued from start to finish because she just has not seen anything like that in LOS very educational maybe some nature DVD'S could be a good idea.

Idea

How about HHAD having a drop off point for non food donations, like i have mentioned above and once or twice a year have a little bash for the kids, i would definitely bring somethings over end of October, and if everyone donated a little it would soon add up just a thought.
Kendo.
Cheers

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Is Bangkok a place or a nasty injury.......Eric Morcombe.

Aussie Mark · Amateur Joined: 22 May 2008 Posts: 48

Is there an orphanage in Hua Hin as I would like to donate to it.If not would donate to the one in question Hopefully the Expats in Hua Hin could organize a fundraiser to help out these orphanages.If you can raise money for save the bloody dogs surely you would all fund raise for a charity for children

yours in a fundraiser for a worthwhile cause

bluezephyr · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:47 am Post subject:

I dont want to tread on any toes regarding this, Just feel i need to give what i can when im over, If someone wants to organise something when im staying in HH, I will contribute.

Kendo, Thanks for yor suggestions regarding pens and pencils books and that, I dont think of stuff like that.
My neice is always drawing and colouring in, Little missy takes this sort of stuff for granted.
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sandman67 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:08 am Post subject:

ok guys

a massive thanks to Kendo....back in the UK....for reminding us we have a social responsibility to be our brothers keeper.

To the hard hearts out there I, as the hard heart, can assure you there is NO better charity than one who gives a kid a good start in life...

Lets do this as HHAD...show the locals us ex pats do care...Sarge has broken ground so we are just following the drummer......

how aboot once a month we do a charity night in a bar for good cause?

This, educating kids, is the best cause of all......

Im in, but I dont want to put my bar forward....JWs is the best place for this .....

Cheers

I dont know what the figures are here but my kiddy sponsorships in Nepal and India costs me 15 quid a month each....education and living all in......

back home thats 3 packs of fags.....

see...like Ghandi taught us one person can make a difference

THIS is what HHAD should help organise...

Cheers

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What, me....the 13th Duke of Wymbourne, alone in a town full of nubile young ladies....with my reputation? .....Tally ho!

"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

Khundon1975 · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:45 am Post subject:

Jeeze, the times I have driven to that bloody tile shop in Pranburi, and onto the Kentucky chicken place, next to the petrol station with my wife and her chicken eating little niece, and never knew there was an orphanage in Pranburi. Embarassed

But I never had access to HHAD then either.

Yes, nice one Kendo. bow

I have a friend from here in UK, visiting her dad in the hospital in Pranburi, I will ring her and see if she can get some stuff together for the kids, if she hasn't already left for BKK, and her flight home.

I may not get to see the kids faces light up this time, but being a big kid myself I can imagine it.

The wife, her family and I give a Christmas party each year for about 30 kids from Pathum Thani who's parents are not so well off.
The wife even lugged a bloody great, multi colour, fibre optic tree over on the plane one year for them. Confused

The looks on the kids faces when they got their little pressies was priceless, unfortunately I have not been able to attend the last few times.

I bet HHAD members come up trumps with the charity bash collections as well.

Can someone PM me with general directions and orphanage name please.
Is it Mercy something??

Sandman67 thumbs up

You say in your post you are hard hearted, I'm sorry but I cannot believe that, any man who gives two kids who are not his own, an education and a good start in life, is, to me a Gentleman, in the truest sense of the word. bow

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ozuncle · Guru Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 529 Location: Perth WA

I think Barry gave directions to the orphanage somewhere else. Perhaps you could repeat it again here Barry.

Great idea for a monthly fund raiser guys.

If we can make a day/night between the 6th and 17th March I will be there.

Cheers

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kendo · Guru Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 700 Location: Southampton

So has anyone got any suggestions for a non food drop off point for gifts as i posted above.

A little donation all adds up if enough people participate, maybe a drop off point in an office or shop.
Kendo.
Cheers

_________________
Is Bangkok a place or a nasty injury.......Eric Morcombe.

barrys · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:47 am Post subject:

Here are the directions to the Mercy House Orphanage again:

Go south towards Pranburi to the traffic lights where Tesco Lotus is.
Keep going straight and you'll see the Post Office on your left.
Keep going until you see a large sign for the company Singer on your left, which is on a corner.
Turn left there into Soi Tessebaan 1. Go as far as the second public telephone box (about 350 m) on the left and behind it you will see a sign pointing right. Go down that littel soi and the orphanage will be in front of you.

Their phone number is 081-9411770

As for a drop-off point in Hua Hin for things for the orphanage and/or charity events:
I think they're great ideas - anything that helps their situation has got to be good.

We're based in Paknampran and don't have an office in Hua Hin as yet - though that could change soon and we would then be able to accept items for the orphanage.

In the meantime, though, we would certainly be willing to collect donated items from a central pick-up point and deliver them to the orphanage - we have a pick-up truck taxi going to Hua Hin most days.

Another easy way of helping - especially for those of you with businesses locally - would be to have a space to sell the art and craft work produced by the kids to tourists etc.

We'd be very happy to bring the items to Hua Hin - we could set a fair price for resale above cost price and also give the profits back to the oprhange.

If there are people interested in organising something like this in a more formal way, I'd definitely be willing to go to a meeting in Hua Hin to discuss how we can accomplish this.

And as I said before, if 2 or 3 people would like to get to know the kids soon, you're very welcome to come and give a hand on 21 February when all of them and their guardians go on the boat tour we're organising for them.
_________________
Barry Stone
Mermaid Cruises
Tel. 032-632223 (office)
084-8007400 (mobile)

www.huahincruises.com

buksida · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:51 am Post subject:

Barry, I've just emailed you with an idea I have. Idea

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dtaai-maai · Ace Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 1599 Location: Thailand

Pagey · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:00 pm Post subject:

Barry, hats off to you, what a fantastic gesture. bow

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usual suspect · Specialist Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Huahin

Good points made by Barry...next time we plan on going it would'nt be a daft idea to swing into Makro and get a big bucket of washing powder to go with the gifts for the kidz.... thumbs up

barrys · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:45 pm Post subject:

Thanks a lot D-M, great to have you along!!

If two more people would like to come along, we'd be delighted - great chance to meet a great bunch of kids!!
_________________
Barry Stone
Mermaid Cruises
Tel. 032-632223 (office)
084-8007400 (mobile)

www.huahincruises.com