A BANBURY couple who wanted to adopt an orphan in Thailand, found it impossible to choose one from the hundreds available at the orphanage they visited. So they decided to adopt them all.

Roger and Kym Garnett went to Thailand in 2005 with the idea of bringing back one child to bring up as their own.

The couple said this week: "There were so many deserving kids there that we couldn't pick just one. We decided instead to start a charity to help all of them."

Mrs Garnett said: "We went for one child and came back with 960."

The charity, the Little Siam Trust, now runs from offices in Castle Street, Banbury, and helps orphaned, impoverished, and disabled children in Thailand who have educational and health needs.

To raise money, the couple are planning a Thai Night, at The Mill, Banbury, on Sunday, December 23, and are running Christmas competitions to tie in with the event.

They are inviting people who decorate their homes with Christmas lights to raise money for the trust - with a ticket for four to the Thai Night as the prize for the family that raises the most cash. In addition, the house judged as having the best display will win a meal for four people at a top Thai restaurant.

Mr Garnett talked about the charity. He said: "We provide essential equipment such as books, training aids, and sponsorship for higher education. In Thailand, there is no free education after primary school. After age 11, only the children of parents who can afford the fees can go to school."

Mrs Garnett said: "Our main project is the Suksasongkhor Residential School in Chai-Nat, central Thailand, which is home to 960 children who would not normally get an education."

Mr and Mrs Garnett also provide an annual New Year's party for nearly 1,400 children at Wad Sat-Gow Orphanage, near Ayuttaya, in Thailand.

Mr Garnett said: "Since the charity's formation in 2005, we have been to Thailand three times. Our first trip was in 2006 when we visited my wife's family. During the trip we went to the orphanage to take a new year's meal to the children.

"We also organised a visit from Santa for the kids, and the amazement and smiles on their faces painted a thousand words, yet it costs only £700 to put on."

Mrs Garnett added: "While the Suksasongkhor School is our main beneficiary, we will continue to fund the Wad Sat-Gow party every year."

Mrs Garnett, who grew up in Thailand, said: "When I was a child, my mother used to take me to the orphanage to feed the children. That was when I realised how lucky I was to have a family, and have an education."

Mrs Garnett came to England and was educated at Oxford Brookes and Warwick universities, and is now a teacher who instructs Thai restaurant owners and staff on food hygiene.

She said: "I work in environmental health to help the Thai community with food handling techniques."

Banbury has a growing Thai community - around 150 at the moment, and the town has three Thai restaurants.

Mrs Garnett said: "Most of the support for the charity comes from the Thai community, and we are trying to get a wider awareness. This year we have had stalls at Banbury's Canal Day, the mayor's bazaar, and the Christmas Lights Festival. We also ran a car boot sale at Banbury self-pick.

"We need volunteers, particularly teachers, to help us, and we need sponsors from the wider community."

  • Tickets for the Thai Night, costing £25, are available from the Siam House restaurant in Parson's Street, or by telephoning 0871 200 3441. The same number can be used by families wanting to enter the house lights competition.

The Thai Night will include an 'as much as you can eat' buffet, Thai boxing demonstrations, music by a guitarist and singers, Thai dancing, games, and an auction.