The Occupation Promotion Project

The Occupation Promotion Project of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Since 1989 HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has continued her work of helping the underprivileged and needy people in the remote area in order to improve their quality of life. Initiating with child and youth development, she realized that only one developed group is not enough to establish the stability of the needy people’s quality of life. Moreover, the children’s other family members should be encouraged as well, so that they can have sufficient income and foster their family, especially in terms of nutrition, health and children’s education.

Therefore, in 1995 HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn graciously ordered the office of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Projects, which belongs to Bureau of the Royal Household (BRH), to conduct “The Occupation Promotion Project of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn” for remote area people. Aiming to develop people’s potential to have more occupation opportunity and part-time self-employment and focusing on folk’s wisdom and local culture, people involved in this project are supported to gather together in the form of an occupational group in their own regions. This project corporates with various departments such as Border Patrol Police, Office of the Non-Formal and Informal Education, The Ministry of Education, Cooperative Promotion Department, Cooperative Auditing Department, Department of Agriculture Extension etc. to provide advice, assistance, training, observe activities on sites and develop occupational skills, provide the knowledge of group management, finance and accounting.

During 1995 – 2011 there are occupational groups under this project 130 groups with more than 3,176 members located in the Border Patrol Police School service areas, hill tribe community learning center or areas under the royal projects. These occupational groups HRH Princess graciously supports spread in various provinces covering all regions of Thailand. In Northern, there are Chiang Mai, Tak, Phayao, Nan, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun. In Northeastern there are Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdahan, Bueng Kan, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Buri Ram. In Central, there are Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Chanthaburi, Phetchaburi, Trat, Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Bangkok (communities in the metropolitan area). In Southern, there are Narathiwat, Yala, Ranong, Phang Nga, Trang, Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Currently, occupational groups under the Occupation Promotion Project of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn have earned a living based on local wisdom and continued developing various professional skills in order to conform to the dynamic economy. Moreover, there are also further activities that can be both professional skills and generation-to-generation cultural preservation, for example, the hill tribe “Pakakayor” ’s natural dye handwoven fabric from Pakakayor women group in Om Koi district, Chiang Mai province and Um Parng district, Ta Song Yang district, Mae Ra Mard district, Tak province, “Lookkaew (marble)” handwoven fabric from “Thai Soe” in Kusumal district, Kok Sri Susan district, Sakon Nakhon and so on.