Thailand

Our plan in Thailand

Plan is working at the grassroots level in Thailand to empower communities to bring real and lasting change, so that their children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Plan began working in Thailand in 1981, and currently has programs in over 500 villages across the country which aim to address the following issues affecting children:

• Poor quality education
• Limited skills of parents and caregivers resulting in poor early childhood development
• Inadequate institutional and policy support for child participation in community development
• Denied basic rights of vulnerable children
  
• Inadequate access to quality health services
• Diminishing natural resources

Plan’s programs and strategies to address these issues include:

Health and wellbeing

Families and children living with HIV and AIDS have limited access to quality health services.  Plan Thailand works with livelihood and group engagement programs supporting people living with HIV and AIDS.  Plan also works to improve access to quality health services and sexual education programs in schools.

Economic security

Plan Thailand works to improve household and community economic security through vocational training, networking, provision of start-up finance and community groups which assist the development of management skills.

Education

Children in Thailand, particularly at a primary level, have limited access to quality education, development, learning competencies and like skills.  Plan Thailand works to improve home and centre-based early childhood development programs through child-centred learning, curriculum development and encouragement of community-management of education facilities.

Child rights, participation and protection

While 24% of the population under the age of 15, there is inadequate institutional and policy support for child rights and community engagement.  Plan Thailand works to advocate child rights at each level of government and strengthen child and community relationships, through child clubs and community networks which helps to increase child participation.

Environmental sustainability

Thailand experiences a high rate of environmental degradation, with limited government policy to support sustainable or rebuilding practices.  Plan Thailand promotes appropriate, sustainable natural resource management practices and community-management of resources.  Plan also supports environmental education in schools.

Country Facts

Country	Thailand	Australia
Flag
Population	63.7 million	19.9 Million
Language	Thai, Siamese, Chinese and English	English
Capital	Bangkok	Canberra
GDP per capita (USD/year)	2,539	$29,000
Life expectancy	70.3	80.3
Access to safe drinking water	99%	100%
Literacy	92.6%	100%
Source:	United Nations: Millennium Development Goals Report 2006