The Ascension Church parish on the island of Samui in Thailand provided assistance to low-income families, as reported by the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia. This week, Father Andrei Ivashchenko, the church’s priest, visited the needy families and distributed essential items and food purchased through donations from parishioners.

Founded in 2013, the Ascension Church community on Samui is actively engaged in charitable work. Alongside their priest, the parishioners regularly visit a local detention center, bringing food to those awaiting trial.

According to the exarchate’s press service, social service is a significant part of the life of Russian Orthodox Church communities in Thailand. The parish also supports a children's home in Chumphon Province, providing not only food but also clothes and diapers for infants. During the past Christmas, all parishes of the Thailand Diocese collected donations for the needs of sick children, raising over 100,000 Thai baht (around 210,000 rubles).

There are currently ten Orthodox parishes in Thailand, with several churches built, the central one being St. Nicholas Cathedral in Bangkok. The Uspensky Monastery in Ratchaburi Province and a theological seminary on Phuket Island also operate within the country.

Photo: Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia