Thais gain insights for battle against poverty

China's success in defeating scourge offers guide for neighbor, experts say

China's experience in poverty alleviation has provided valuable lessons to Thailand, and the two countries are expected to enhance their cooperation in the field after the coronavirus pandemic, experts said.

"Thailand has followed the Chinese model in the poverty eradication program through a systematic national strategy that encompasses policies and measures that would uplift the poor," said Kavi Chongkittavorn, senior fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies in Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

Enjoying good relations, China and Thailand "have been learning from each other ever since the establishment of diplomatic ties 45 years ago", said Chongkittavorn, noting China has been successful in eradicating extreme poverty over the past three decades.

China declared a complete victory in the fight against absolute poverty in February, meeting the poverty eradication target set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule.

Chongkittavorn said that among the approaches taken by the Thai government are the targeted poverty alleviation programs, benefiting vulnerable groups including women, children, the disabled, and minorities. "It is an integrated and long-term policy," he said.

The Thai government plans to launch a number of projects in the fiscal 2021 year to narrow income disparity based on the Thai People Map and Analytics Platform, a Big Data analytics tool, according to the Bangkok Post newspaper.

Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, was quoted as saying: "This is the first time the government has used TPMAP as a tool to tackle income disparity more efficiently and precisely. This method is applied by the Chinese government to formulate and implement policy to solve poverty."

Boosting agriculture

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told the Xinhua News Agency that, inspired by China's science and technology-assisted poverty alleviation practices, Thailand plans to boost the development of agriculture and rural areas, as well as work together with colleges to map out poverty-alleviation plans and dispatch college students to support poor regions.

Rajendra Shrestha, professor of Natural Resources Management at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, said nearly half of the poor population in Thailand is in the agriculture sector. This means that China's experience in poverty alleviation, which includes targeted strategy and precision assistance, enhancing digital literacy and relocation, are successful examples for Thailand to follow.

In the northeastern province of Khon Kaen, the local government, after learning from China's targeted poverty alleviation projects, implemented a "pair-up" model in October 2019. Under the program, one public servant and one company employee will be paired up with two poor households to provide customized solutions.

As of January, the pair-up program has lifted nearly 80 percent of 1,174 households out of poverty and will have the chance to be promoted across Thailand, according to the Chinese Consulate General in Khon Kaen.

"Poverty alleviation is a priority agenda in Thailand," said Shrestha. He said Thailand has a long history of poverty alleviation work dating to the 1950s, with the policy focus shifting from developing poor rural areas and increasing community involvement in the 1990s to education in the 2000s.

He said there is much that Thailand can learn from Chinese nongovernment organizations and companies as they play an active role in poverty alleviation.