“I wish every day could be Children’s Day,” said five-year-old Jariyawadee Sawangchan, grinning as she posed with UNICEF Thailand’s Teddy Blu.
Hat Yai Municipal Park recently hosted its National Children’s Day celebration, "Len (Hat) Yai Jai Foo", less than two months after the devastating floods which submerged much of the city in late November. After a month of recovery and cleanup, main roads and public buildings had reopened, but the emotional impact of the disaster lingered, especially for children, who absorbed fear and uncertainty alongside the adults around them. One aim of the celebrations was to offer these children new hope as they move into 2026.
Jariyawadee had joined the event to have fun and because she had heard there was a chance to win a bicycle. Her nine-year-old cousin, Kanokpit Klaewthanong, wanted a tennis ball for her dog. Jariyawadee’s mother said the excitement among the children had been building for days. Having lived through flooding twice last year, the chance to laugh and play freely again made this Children’s Day feel different and more important.
Most Hat Yai residents spent the final week of November surrounded by floodwaters. In the weeks that followed, grown-ups focused on repairing homes and finding ways to earn again, while many children still missed out on their usual routines. With schools closed for nearly a month, days felt long and uncertain. Recovery still hasn’t reached everyone in Hat Yai equally. Some restaurants remain closed, homes are still under repair, and water-stained walls and debris are still visible along city streets as reminders of how recently daily life was upended.
Inside the park, however, the city felt transformed. Organized by Hat Yai Municipality in partnership with civil society groups and UNICEF Thailand, the park came alive with colour and sounds of excitement. Activity zones brimmed with toys, books, bicycles, and school supplies, as children darted between games, colouring stations, and music-making. For a few hours, it felt as though Hat Yai itself could finally exhale.
UNICEF Thailand hosted a lively learning station where Teddy Blu came to excite and cheer up the children, and families joined a “Know the Flood” game — turning play into a chance to learn about staying safe in future crises. With the support of 40 volunteers from Prince of Songkhla University and the I Am UNICEF team, this activity welcomed nearly 1,100 children.
Nipattra Wilkes, a Communication Officer at UNICEF Thailand, watched as children shouted out answers and parents leaned in to listen. Nipattra moved between volunteers and families, ensuring the activity ran smoothly. During the floods, UNICEF supported families and contributed to efforts to keep children safe amid very challenging conditions. “That’s why it means so much to be here now, in a happier moment — to see how children are recovering, how eager they are to learn, and how determined they are to keep smiling and having fun,” Nipattra said.
“Know the Flood was fun and educational,” said Sitthinon Angsupanich, a fifth-grader. Normally shy in crowds, Sitthinon still came to the celebration, encouraged by his mother. He spoke softly, but his face showed a quiet excitement during the games. Sitthinon made his way through nearly every booth and enjoyed them all, though he said the Know the Flood activity stood out with its lessons on floods and disaster preparedness. While his own home was spared the worst of the floods, many of his friends’ homes were not.
Siblings Panjapat and Titipat Leerapongna - age 8 and 10 respectively - were among those children whose lives were turned upside down, spending a week stranded on the second floor of their home. “It felt like being on an island,” their mother, Pikul, recalled. As food ran low, the children distracted themselves by playing with Lego. Now outside at last, they threw themselves into more games, laughing alongside their mother during the Know the Flood activity – although Titipat later declared ice cream the unquestionable highlight of the day.
Maruay Suwannasin, a Prince of Songkhla University student and I AM UNICEF volunteer, led one of UNICEF’s game activities. While the children appeared cheerful, she said their full emotional recovery was impossible to measure. “We know they’ve been through a lot over the past several weeks, so we focused on bringing them joy.”
