Written by Kei Franklin
Stories & Interviews collected by Charida Jitwongwai 

Flooding: a part of life  

Residents of Northern Thailand are familiar with flooding. Each year during the rainy season, heavy rains cause water to rush down the mountains and into villages. But flooding has gotten worse over the years, exacerbated by climate change, among other factors. Warmer air is able to hold more water, so when it rains, it pours. A steady increase in the mean average temperature in Northern Thailand since the 1950’s means heavier rains and more flooding.  
 
The Thai government also attributes increased flooding to instances of illegal logging, although there is debate about who is behind this practice. Forested land retains more water than cleared land because the trees influence how water falls onto and is absorbed by the soil. Once land is deforested, water that would otherwise have been absorbed instead runs off, causing flash flooding. Deforestation can also cause landslides because the trees are no longer present to hold the soil in place and to redirect water deeper into the ground. Instead, the rain hits the surface of the ground (rather than penetrating it) and runs off, causing flooding. 
 
In Mae Chan, a sub-district of the Chiang Rai Province in Northern Thailand, a few other factors are also at play. “We have no sea for the rainwater to drain into,” says Mr Nakhon Khampie, Head of Mae Chan Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office. “The water flows to the lowest inland point before it naturally drains away. [...] Also, there is no dam in place to collect nor stop the water, so it flows downhill to the Mae Chan Market and floods it.” 


Image: Early warning system. Image credit: Charida Jitwongwai 
 
There is an early warning system in place, which alerts Mae Chan residents when the water reaches a specific level at two sites - Pa Teung Bridge and Lan Thong Bridge. It is estimated that this water level will cause at least 1m of flooding in Mae Chan, and gives the residents an estimated 6 hours to evacuate before the flood water arrives.  
 
Flooding is a part of life in places like Mae Chan, and is becoming increasingly so. This story highlights the impressive social and physical infrastructure that Mae Chan residents and local governmental officials have built to ensure the safety and resilience of their communities.  

It all started with a coffee shop…  

Charida Jitwongwai (also known as Bee) is a trader and the President of Phuket Disaster Resilience Foundation. She is based in Phuket, Thailand, and previously worked as the Project Coordinator for EOS’ Phuket Disaster Resilience Project. 

In 2019, EOS conducted the Understanding Risk Field Lab – a month-long arts and technology un-conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand exploring critical design practices in disaster risk management, collaborative technology production, hacking and art. During the Field Lab, they conducted numerous interviews with residents of small villages in Northern Thailand who had experienced severe flooding. Several weeks after the Field Lab concluded, some of the Field Lab participants wanted to get in touch with some of the interviewees to ask for some follow-up information. They found themselves in a quandary, however, when they realised they did not have the contact details nor full names of the interviewees (many people in Thailand use nicknames). All they knew was the name of the coffee shop where they had conducted the interviews. 
 
Enter Bee, with over 15 years of professional experience in relationship management, fluency in Thai, and a willingness to help. Bee promptly made contact with Mr. Nakhon Kampie (Head of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Mae Chan Sub-district Office) who knew every one of the interviewees in that interview including the owners of the coffee shop. She followed the breadcrumbs until she found the interviewees and was able to put them in touch with the Field Lab participants.  
 
Then, three years later, I contacted Bee asking if she would be interested in coming on board as a Partner Researcher for Recipes for Disaster. A passionate advocate of gender equality with experience working in the field of disaster resilience and recovery, Bee agreed enthusiastically, explaining that she would also welcome the opportunity to better understand Northern Thailand, the region where her mother comes from. Bee reconnected with the people she had helped to find in 2019, and asked them for introductions to people who might be willing to share stories and recipes from one of the recent floods.  



It all started with a coffee shop, and three years later Bee found herself in a breezy house in Mae Chan (a sub-district of Chiang Rai, Thailand) in the company of 8 welcoming individuals who kindly shared their stories, perspectives, and recipes. She was welcomed to Mae Chan by the Mayor, a local Member of Parliament, several members of the local Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, the Village Headwoman, and other residents.  
 
I asked Bee how, if at all, she felt that her entry point into Mae Chan influenced the stories she collected. “Because the project was framed as an educational project,” said Bee, “I think the people I spoke to saw me as a fairly neutral party. They were very open and trusting with me, sharing their stories and perspectives generously.” Bee felt that, after she explained the aims and intentions of the project, people seemed to relax, comfortable that she was simply asking for stories, with no hidden agenda. “Most people though,” she added, “were bewildered and amused by the fact that - instead of focusing on the satellite images of the floods, or the flood mitigation plans and policies - I wanted to ask them about food!” 

Village Headwoman: Mother to All 

 
Ms. Orapin Kantha, known as Maeluang Dton, is the Village Headwoman in Mae Chan. In the first days of September 2014, she remembers that the river overflowed and the water rose above the wall that surrounds her sister’s garden. “We have had many floods in the past years,” said Maeluang Dton, “but 2014 was by far the worst. The river was so full that the water level came up to my neck!” 
 

 
At 5am on September 1, 2014, Maeluang Dton and her sister were at home, sleeping. They heard the flood warning sound issued by the Mae Chan Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. “It was very loud!” remembers Maeluang Dton. “It warned villagers who live near Mae Chan River to take our belongings and evacuate to higher ground immediately as there was flowing water coming our way. The warning was repeated many times.”  
 
Upon hearing the evacuation warning, the first thing Maeluang Dton thought about was food. “Since I am a Village Headwoman, I always cook for the villagers when it floods,” she explained. “I looked at what I had in the kitchen, and considered what could be cooked the easiest and fastest. I had a lot of rice, and I also had palo (Chinese 5 Spice powder - made of cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, star anise, sichuan peppercorn, cilantro root and cilantro stem). I thought what can I make with this?  It had to be an easy and quick recipe that I could make in a big portion. So, I had immediately decided to cook Tom Palo Gai (Chicken Stew and eggs in dark soup). [...] This is normally made with pork but at the time we had to adapt and made it with chicken instead, as it was easier to find and faster to cook.” 
 
“When it floods,” explained Maeluang Dton, “everyone is very busy moving their belongings to a higher place, so they don’t think about food and many do not have a place to cook because their houses are flooded.” 
 
So, while most Mae Chan residents were hurriedly evacuating to higher ground, Maeluang Dton put on her rubber boots and went to the market as quickly as possible.  
 
“I knew that I had about one hour to get things done before the water level rose higher as the announcement had said,'' Maeluang Dton remembered. “At the time, the water was only at my knee level and the market was 1 km from my house, so I had worked out the timings and knew I could get there and back before the water was much deeper.” 
 
During the 2014 floods3 Maeluang Dton paid for the food she bought at the market. “I paid for everything,” she said “I like to look after the village and I support those villagers who have not received food or support from the government. We like helping each other during a disaster, we have a close community.” According to Maeluang Dton, this is typical. “Each village has a Village Headman/Headwoman and they do the same thing and help cook for their villagers to support them,” she explained. 
 
When Maeluang Dton returned home, the flood water was neck-level. She used her neighbouring sister’s kitchen to cook food which she then distributed to the Mae Chan residents.  
 
Maeluang Dton was not alone, she called two of her best friends - Ms. Alisa Chaichomphu, known as Sai, and Ms. Jattakarn Somdaeng, known as Tik - to help.  

Maeluang Dton, Tik, and Sai have created a system of cooking and distributing food during the floods, which acts as a very effective and efficient disaster recovery strategy at the community level.  
 
As Maeluang Dton set off for the market, she informed her network of friends that she would soon begin cooking, and they swiftly came over to help. “Everyone needs to have food to eat so I did my best with my friends (Sai and Tik) to do the cooking and pack it up into portions to deliver to the villagers.”  
 
In the 2014 floods, Maeluang Dton and four other women successfully fed 300 households. “If it was not enough food,” said Maeluang Dton, “then we would cook some more.”  
 
They organised themselves using social media, mostly Line and Facebook. “When I was about to start cooking,” Maeluang Dton remembered, “I took a photo of all the bowls and utensils and posted them on Facebook with the caption ‘Equipment is ready!’ My friends came over to help right away!” The friends try and keep their spirits high during the intensive cooking period. “Sometimes we would sing with each other to keep ourselves motivated,” Tik remembered. 



The women usually cook two primary dishes when it floods, because they are relatively easy and fast to prepare, and because they often already have the ingredients on hand. The two dishes are Krapao Moo (Fried minced pork with Basil) and Gaeng Jued Tao Hoo Moo Sub (Clear soup with minced pork and Egg Tofu).   


Recipe: Gaeng Jued Taohu Moosub

“Initially,” remembers Maeluang Dton, “we put the food portions in a big plastic bowl and walked through the flood - which was about hip-height at that time - and delivered it to each house. After that, we focused on just cooking and informed the villagers when the food was ready, so that they could come and collect it for themselves and their neighbours, if they were able.” 





 
Because flood water can linger several days, Maeluang Dton and her friends often receive support from local authorities like the local Border Police and the Siam RuamJai Rescue Foundation. They ask the women if they have outstanding needs for supplies and help deliver food to those villagers who cannot come on their own to collect it.  
 
Maeluang Dton, Sai, and Tik described the atmosphere of cooking during a flood as “busy”. “For us,” remembered Maeluang Dton, “we rarely have time to eat while we’re cooking because there is so much to do and we need to prioritise food for the village. [...] One of us would cook while the other would pack. When we were hungry we would stop for a while on our own and eat whilst the others would keep cooking. [...] We didn’t want anyone to go hungry.”  
 
“Sometimes,” remembered Tik, “we would sing with each other while cooking to keep ourselves motivated and keep our spirits up.”  
 
While Bee was talking to Maeluang Dton, Sai, and Tik, the local Mayor, a Member of Parliament, and other people from the Fire Department stopped by to say hello. Maeluang Dton’s house seems to act as a hub for the community in Mae Chan.  
 
“I am the Village Headwoman,” Maeluang Dton said, “So when I cook a lot I tell people to come and get some food – everyone likes my food.” Maeluang Dton offered her guests homemade whiskey with wild honey, and the group began to reminisce about the floods.  


Recipe: Krapao Moo (minced pork fried with holy basil leaves, chilli and garlic). 
Note: During non-flood times, the holy basil leaves would be divided into two, half would be fried first in the hot oil until crispy and then added as a topping when serving. During the flood, however, this was not possible because the supply of holy basil leaves was affected by the floods. 

  
Tik, Maeluang Dton’s good friend and one of the superwomen who fed more than 300 families in the aftermath of the 2014 floods, does not actually live in Mae Chan. She lives about 200m away, and travelled to Mae Chan in order to help with cooking.  
 
“The sub-district where I live was not as affected by the floods so when I got Maeluang Dton’s call I was keen to help her and support the people of Mae Chan. In general, if my village was flooded, I would have needed to focus on helping people there. But we were fine, so I went to Mae Chan to help because there was a large community without basic food and who were in need. We had many people to cook for so we started early and cooked two meals per day for as many of the villagers as we could.” 
 
In situations like these, Tik always makes her famous omelette. Bee was lucky enough to try this legendary omelette while in Mae Chan.  
 
“This is my own original recipe, and I love it when I cook something for people and they enjoy it. I make it slightly differently from a traditional Thai omelette - the technique is special, and I add red onion - and everyone I cook it for loves it… so this makes me proud.”  
 
Tik explained that an omelette is a perfect food for a post-disaster context because the ingredients are easy to find, it’s relatively fast and easy to cook, it’s nutritional, and children like it as well as adults.  

 Recipe: Tik’s Special Thai Omelette 

While the 2014 floods in Mae Chan resulted from several contributing factors – including the topography of the region, increased instances of illegal logging, and climate change – we thought it might be more valuable in this instance to map the ‘recipe’ of recovery. What were the circumstances, factors, and actors that made this recovery story a success?  
 
“First of all,” said Bee, “people are very familiar with flooding, so they seem quite calm about it, like they know what to do.” Indeed it is likely that the frequency of floods in this area means that residents of Mae Chan and the surrounding communities have had many opportunities to perfect an approach that works. This prior collective experience is bolstered by efficient and well-maintained local disaster warning infrastructure. “People know that the local government will monitor the floods and will give them a warning at the right time, such that they will still have one hour to go to the market and get food before the water comes in…” said Bee. “They trust in the system.”  
 
In addition, it seems that the Mae Chan residents took a coordinated, self-organised, and networked approach which made their recovery process efficient and effective. “The community seemed very strong,” recalled Bee, “and everyone had a role to play.” Volunteers from nearby less-affected villages brought ingredients and supplies, Maeluang Dton, Tik, and Sai cooked hundreds of meals, and men from the village, rescue teams, and fire brigades help to distribute it. People helped each other repair their damaged houses and clean up the mud that was left behind by the flood. The community rallied to support one another, using autonomous social networks like Line and Facebook to spread information and coordinate their efforts. 
 
Perhaps the most crucial factor, however, was the trust that Mae Chan residents seemed to place in their Village Headwoman, Maeluang Dton, and (perhaps consequentially) how seriously she took her role. It seemed evident from Bee’s visit to Mae Chan that Maeluang Dton’s home was not just her home, but was in fact a hub of gathering, information-sharing, and decision-making for Mae Chan. “The villagers of Mae Chan trusted Maeluang Dton,” said Bee. “They expected that - if any disaster were to occur - she would take care of them, she would make sure everyone was fed.” Indeed it seemed that Maeluang Dton was trusted not only to feed her community, but also to act as a crucial intermediary between village residents and members of the local government, funnelling information, queries, and resources back and forth. Her role was crucial to the success of recovery efforts as she ensured that local governmental officials were aware of needs on the ground, and that Mae Chan residents understood what they could expect in terms of support from the government.  

When I spoke to Bee about her experience in Mae Chan, she was surprised by the strength of the community, the efficacy of the ground-up mechanisms for disaster recovery, and the fact that no one else seemed to see how impressive this was.  
 
“They don’t see that what they are doing is special,” said Bee, “to them, it’s so normal and simple. They looked at me like ‘why are you asking me questions about this? Of course we take care of each other… of course we cook for the whole village.’ The women wanted to highlight the role that the men had played - the firefighters and rescue teams. They didn’t see their contributions as anything worth highlighting.”  
 
“And even the Member of the Parliament” continued Bee, “when she found out that I was less interested in hearing about the parliamentary responses or the new disaster recovery policies, and more interested in hearing about what people ate during and after the floods – she just looked at me and said ‘Mm. Interesting…’”