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Children of Mekong
As the morning mist lifted over the Mekong River, a group of children, aged five to seventeen, gathered along its banks not just to admire its beauty, but to tell its story. Over the course of three days, forty children from Chiang Khan, a scenic town in northeastern province of Loei, participated in a workshop su...
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One Inspiring Day in Yala, Shadowing the Municipal Mayor.
In 2023, UNICEF launched its Young People Takeover initiative for Thai Children's Day. This program took young individuals on a full-day journey shadowing leaders in differing provinces, offering them a unique up-close experience learning about urban governance. The initiative kicked off in Bangkok and extended it...
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Side by Side with Pattani’s Governor for a Day
In November, we had the opportunity to shadow the Governor of Pattani Province, Patimoh Sadiyamu, Thailand’s first female Muslim Governor, who has invested time, experience, and patience in establishing her capabilities as a female leader. We’d like to tell you more about our insights from the day in this article....
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Child of the 2010s
Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn was born in 2006 in Bangkok. By the time he completed primary school, he had already developed a powerful passion for wildlife and the natural environment. He decided he might thrive in alternative homeschooling outside the traditional public education system, studying alongside other ch...
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Child of the 2000s
Siribut Musikapodok was born in 2002 in Mae Hong Son province. Although the country’s recovery from the 1997 financial crisis was well underway, her family was still struggling. Her single mother moved around a lot, following work as a manual labourer. Siribut only realized how financially precarious their life wa...
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Child of the Nineties
Sulaiman Jehubong was born in 1992 in Pattani province. He grew up on the cusp of the new millennium, a testing time for Thailand. When he was a small child, the Asian Financial Crisis marked an end to the country’s long economic boom. UNICEF worked across Thailand to help vulnerable families recover their liveli...
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Child of the Eighties
Tawin Srikaew was born in 1975 in Ban Non Khaen, a remote village in Surin province with no electricity or water. He remembers walking several kilometres daily to get water during dry season and looking forward to rainy season. He received a full set of vaccinations, a result of years of work from Thailand’s Minis...
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Child of the Seventies
Lakkana Timjiem was born in 1965 in Klong Toey, one of Bangkok’s most deprived areas. Though her family were better off than many who lived there, thanks to her policeman father, there were still many challenges involved in growing up in an urban poor environment. Her neighbourhood was flooded daily by tidal chang...
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Child of the Sixties
Apinya Wechayachai was born in 1955 in Chumphon, at a time when UNICEF, the Royal Thai Government and partners were working to improve healthcare nationwide. As the daughter of a hospital director and a nurse, Apinya benefited from these advances early, and was breastfed and received vaccinations against diseases ...
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Child of the Fifties
For each decade UNICEF has worked in Thailand, we will share the story of a child who grew up then. They were chosen to reflect Thailand’s diversity, rather than provide a case study of UNICEF’s work – although their lives have been shaped by the improved healthcare, education and opportunities we have worked towa...
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My Day with UNICEF – one young leader becomes Ambassador for A Day
The Ambassador for A Day contest was created to inspire talented young Thais to become future leaders through first-hand experience with the UN agencies and embassies supporting the country's development. It was created with people exactly like Nara Phonpraserth, UNICEF's 2023 winner, in mind. Nara is a very impre...
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One Day of Being Governor
What did you do on Children’s Day? We, the members of the Young People Advisory Board (YPAB), had the opportunity to shadow the Bangkok Governor, Mr. Chatchard Sittipunt, and Deputy Governor, Mr. Sanon Wangsrangboon, as they went on a day filled with activities in Bangkok, the capital city known for its social and...