Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Airbnb.org formalise partnership to strengthen emergency housing response
Bangkok, Thailand, 11 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 BMA 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 4,023 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.
About Airbnb.org Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb that connects people to free emergency housing in times of crisis. Airbnb.org pays for stays, leverages the Airbnb platform, and taps into Airbnb’s global community of hosts willing to share their homes with those in need. 100 percent of all donations to Airbnb.org go directly to providing free emergency housing, because Airbnb covers operating costs. Since 2020, Airbnb.org has provided 1.6 million nights of free, temporary housing in nearly 140 countries around the world.
Bangkok, Thailand, 11 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 BMA 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.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Airbnb.org formalise partnership to strengthen emergency housing response
