Pursuant to a powerful earthquake that hit the Southern part of Haiti on 12 January 2010 causing major loss of lives and tremendous damage to buildings and infrastructures in many areas including Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand has taken the following steps:
1. The Foreign Ministry instructed the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in New York to contact the Permanent Mission of Haiti to the United Nations requesting for its coordination with the Haitian Foreign Ministry to seek information about whereabouts of and assistance given to Thai nationals living in the country. As of today evening, the Thai Foreign Ministry received inquiries from Thais claiming that they could not contact their relatives working/living in Port-au-Prince.
For further enquiries on the matter, please contact Mrs. Boonsom Watanapanee, Protection of Thai Nationals Abroad Division, Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (tel. +66 2982 8128, fax. +66 2575 1052 and mobile phone +668 1640 2434).
2. The Thai Foreign Ministry is now considering to provide the humanitarian assistance to Haiti.
3. Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has sent a condolences message to Mrs. Marie-Mich?le Rey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic of Haiti as follows:
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Excellency,
I and the people of Thailand are saddened to learn of the powerful earthquake which badly hit the southern part of Haiti, resulting in the loss of lives and tremendous damage to buildings and major infrastructures.
On behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, I wish to extend my sincere sympathy and condolences to Your Excellency and, through you, to the people of Haiti, especially the bereaved families of the victims, for this unfortunate calamity and casualties. I hope that their livelihood will be restored to normalcy soon.
Accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Kasit Piromya
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand
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For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th