Thailand

BACKGROUND

We went to Thailand with Love in Action Asia to provide clean water to Karen refugee camps, particularly those in Burma (also called Myanmar). We went to a Karen refugee camp on the Thai side (Ma La Mu) and contacted several Karen rangers to demonstrate the well drilling technology and well installation. We decide to install a well outside of Ban Mae Sariang on a dry plot of land that they could use for a vegetable garden.

The auger drilling system worked well, especially once we got through the hard clay on the surface. We hit water at about 9 feet deep. This was slow perking, so we continued to drill to about 20 feet in order to have enough of a reservoir. We cased the well with 4″ PVC pipe, installed 2″ well input pipe with a foot (check) valve at the bottom, disinfected (using local bleach) and sealed the well, and installed the hand pump.

About one week after we returned, we received an email from one of the Karen ranger leaders, stating that they had drilled another well at Maetob village and it worked, providing clean water. He was eager to take the drilling technology and pumps back into Burma as soon as the border opened up.

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