ELLSWORTH — Pronsavanh Soutthivong, owner of the Bangkok Thai restaurant on High Street, has traveled to her homeland, Laos, every year for the last 10 years.


During that time, she has contributed her efforts and money to the construction of a temple, a school and a hospital. She left for Laos earlier this week, this time to help remodel an old school. The project could take a long time or could go quickly, said Soutthivong.

“Labor is very cheap over there, but the time depends on how much money we raise,” she said on the eve of her departure.

Soutthivong contributes her own money to her projects and occasionally accepts donations from restaurant customers she has known for a long time. But, she explained, she does not do much fund raising because she does not want to impose.

Soutthivong has lived in Ellsworth since 1989. She moved here from Chicago with her husband in order to open the Bangkok Thai restaurant. In addition to her current trip, Soutthivong has been working to collect old computers and clothing, which she will ship when she has enough to fill a large shipping container. Some of the older computers she has collected are not functioning, but can be repaired easily.

“I have a friend who works for the state who can fix them cheaply,” she said.

Soutthivong estimates that she will have enough to ship next year.

“I think everybody comes here and it’s a great country — in Laos, the government does not have enough money to support schools,” said Soutthivong, explaining her motivation for sharing her American success. In cities, said Soutthivong, schools are supported, but in rural areas, such as the one she comes from, there is no funding for schools and other community projects. While in Laos, she plans to visit her grandmother and her aunt, who still reside there, and to swim in the Mekong River.