Thai Express is set to reopen in early 2023

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - After the deadly December tornadoes struck Western Kentucky, many families suffered physically, mentally, and financially.

The Krongyuts were no exception. When they first realized their restaurant and livelihood were destroyed, all hope seemed lost.

“Our friends actually came and saw it first, early in the morning. They woke us up and told us,” said Nina Krongyut, Co-Manager of Thai Express. “We were really shocked. We were crying and stuff, then my parents came out and they were just in shock really.”

“It was just shocking. We could not believe what happened. Normally, tornadoes come through and the sirens go off and nothing gets touched. This time, it was pretty bad, unfortunately,” said Mazden Ng, one of Thai Express’ employees.

After nearly a year of the Krongyuts trying to rebuild their restaurant, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. They announced on their Facebook page that they are planning to reopen their doors in mid-January. A fresh breath of relief for patrons, and the entire family.

“We were just like “Finally!” We were stressed for a while about when they (the construction crew) were going to start. Now we are just really excited,” Krongyut said.

They said none of this would be possible without the love and support they received this year from the community at large. “It has meant a lot. We always see comments and messages from our customers. It puts my parents into tears too,” said Krongyut.

“We are just so grateful to have a really supportive community around us that love our restaurant, so we can not thank them enough,” said Mazden Ng.

A GoFundMe Page was set up to help the Krongyut family in their efforts to build back after the tornadoes.

If you would like to make a donation or learn more about how you can help, you can visit their GoFundMe page.

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