Bangkok, Thailand, 12 May 2026 — The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and
Airbnb.org announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen
access to temporary accommodation for people affected by emergencies in Bangkok. The
partnership establishes a framework for collaboration between the city and Airbnb.org, ensuring
that people who are displaced by natural disasters and critical workers responding to those
disasters can access safe and reliable accommodation when they need it most.

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free emergency housing in times of
crisis. To advance its mission, Airbnb.org will provide US$250,000 to support emergency stays in
Bangkok, working closely with the BMA to help coordinate accommodation for those impacted
during times of need. Families impacted by disasters will receive credits from Airbnb.org to book
stays on Airbnb that meet their needs. Stays will be free for guests, funded by Airbnb.org and its
generous donors.

The agreement builds on a successful collaboration following the 2025 earthquake impacting
Bangkok, when BMA and Airbnb.org worked together to support those affected with temporary
housing. Combining the city’s on-the-ground coordination with the Airbnb.org program, the
partnership helped connect people to places to stay during a critical moment. As a result of these
efforts, Airbnb.org provided over 4,000 nights of free emergency housing.

With this MOU, the BMA and Airbnb.org will strengthen their collaboration on emergency
accommodation in Bangkok, bringing together the city’s leadership and emergency response
capabilities with Airbnb.org’s ability to mobilise flexible, temporary housing through the Airbnb
platform and its community of local hosts.
Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, said, “When the earthquake struck last year, we saw
firsthand the value of public and NGO sector collaboration. Through our partnership with
Airbnb.org, we were able to help those affected access temporary accommodation within 48
hours of the emergency. This MOU builds on that foundation, strengthening Bangkok’s ability to
respond to future disasters and provide suitable accommodation for vulnerable groups, frontline
workers, and volunteers as quickly as possible when they need it most.”

Speaking at the MOU signing, Christine Chang, Director of Global Programs and Operations at
Airbnb.org, commented, “Airbnb.org was founded to help people access suitable, temporary
accommodation in times of crisis, and partnerships with local organisations like the Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration are central to how we do that. With a deep understanding of their
communities, local partner organizations can quickly determine who needs support, when and
how, and our role is to help enable that response. By leveraging Airbnb’s global community of
hosts, we can help connect people to accommodation quickly, in the locations they need, and in
a way that provides comfort during difficult moments.”

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to practical, community-focused solutions —
combining local leadership with global support to ensure help can reach those affected quickly
and effectively.

#BMA #Airbnb