Family to swap Shropshire for slums of Thailand

The Fletcher family from Monkmoor will soon be calling a wooden hut home, and will move to a notorious slum in Bangkok later this year.

They were inspired to abandon the rat race for an entirely different way of life following a family holiday to Thailand in 2012, after they witnessed the acute poverty which borders many cities on the continent.

The country's problems have been placed on the world stage this week by the political problems that have led to the military taking over.

Elise and Jon Fletcher will be taking their two small boys, Elliot, six, and Sam, four, with them- and believe their lives will change for the better despite the political uncertainty, gang violence and lack of sanitation.

Mr Fletcher works as a doctor at Belvidere Medical Practise, and will move his family to Klong Toey in October.

It is the biggest slum area in Bangkok, and 100, 000 people live on two square km of land.

From open sewers to small huts clustered closely together, life in Thailand will be a far cry from quaint Shrewsbury.

Mrs Fletcher, 30, is currently a stay-at-home mum, and Mr Fletcher will continue to work as a doctor in an unofficial capacity.

Mr Fletcher said: "It all started when we went on holiday to Thailand in 2012.

"I think we were just quite shocked to see the massive divide between rich and poor.

"You have the very rich and the desperately poor living together on the same ground.

"We returned home to the daily grind of life but we read about a mission called Urban Neighbours and we were really inspired by all the work they did."

Urban Neighbours Of Hope is a Christian charity and they work in urban Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand.

They have several community teams working in some of the most poverty stricken areas, and for the Fletcher family – religion has played a huge part in the sacrifices they will have to make for their trip.

Crime and violence is rife in Klong Toey, which is considered the hub for the Thai mafia.

About 100, 000 migrant workers live cheek-to-cheek with tram lines and the stagnant Klong Toey canal cutting through shanty homes built on stilts.

From lack of health care to gang warfare, Klong Toey has been well documented as one of the most dangerous places in Thailand.

But Mr Fletcher believes Sam and Elliot will flourish in Thailand, and they will attend an international school.

He said: "Of course you have to consider the dangers but I think there is a brilliant sense of community there.

"In this country you can be anonymous and not know your neighbour, you can have no idea with what's going on in the house right next to you.

"These people have nothing and we are far from naive about the situation.

"I honestly think you could not find a better sense of togetherness though, and we lack that in the UK.

" There will always be somebody around offering help, you can't escape from it with the sheer number of people living there.

"We will be living in a wooden hut that has running water and electricity, and the boys will still have a very good education.

"Of course it is going to be hard, we will miss family and friends because we plan to stay out there for as long as we possibly can."

The Fletchers attend Shrewsbury Baptist Church and have been fundraising so they can afford to get by in Thailand from month-to-month.

So far they have raised more then half their target amount, and believe their faith in God will guide them through the epic journey that lies ahead of them.

Mr Fletcher said: "Of course we are scared, we are flying out on October 1 but we think God is asking us to do this.

"When we tell people we are moving to a slum they tend to say how brave we are.

"We don't feel brave at all and it will certainly be a very big transition for our boys," he added.

"Sam has just turned four and it's moments like birthdays that make us realize how much we will miss our family and friends.

"We have done an awful lot of praying, from Visa applications to hoping we raise the funds in time and we are so thankful for all the support.

"It's really important that we do this work and we have a real adventure ahead of us."

A charity fun day will be held on July 19 at Shrewsbury Baptist Church in Crowmoor, and the Fletchers will be selling all their furniture before the big move.

To follow the Fletcher family progress or to make a donation, visit www.jonandelisefletcher.com.

What the Fletcher family can expect:

This is the world the Fletcher family will step into when they move to Thailand. Klong Toey is a mass of humanity, where many people live in the most appalling conditions but where there is also an incredible sense of community.

There will be no supermarkets to enjoy here, but there will be the sights and smells of one of the town's bustling markets which is stuffed full of fresh produce.

Thailand is a country of extremes, with wealth and a thriving tourism industry but also great poverty among millions.

And the country is on the cusp of a crisis that threatens to descend into violence.

Areas like Klong Toey are among areas military leaders are wary of, as mass protest threatens to disrupt law and order.

More than 1,000 Thai troops and police sealed off one of Bangkok's busiest intersections to prevent a planned protest, as authorities said they would no longer allow any demonstrations against last week's military coup.

Truckloads of soldiers blocked all incoming roads to the capital's Victory Monument in a massive show of force at the height of evening rush hour in an area that serves as one of the city's commuter bus hubs.

A Belgian man was detained for wearing a T-shirt saying "peace please" and two Thai women were taken away on a police truck after they showed signs with anti-coup messages.

Despite the latest upheaval, life has continued largely as normal in most of the country.

And life in Klong Toey has continued largely as normal, with a population surviving from day to day.