The Pid Thong Lang Phra royal programme has teamed up with four state agencies to promote the application of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's sufficiency economy philosophy in Khon Kaen and the restive southernmost provinces.
The programme yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Prime Minister's Office, Interior Ministry, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to expand the sufficiency economy programme in Khon Kaen's Ubon Ratana District covering 10 villages and 21 villages in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
The Prime Minister's Office will provide a budget of 1.5 billion baht.
Founded in 2008, Pid Thong Lang Phra (which means doing good without any intention of getting anything back) is a royally sponsored initiative that specialises in rural development using the sufficiency economy philosophy to tackle the problems of deforestation, flooding and poverty. It aims to promote reforestation and crop diversity to maintain soil quality.
The project is in its second phase (2016-20) after the first stage was implemented for five years in Nan, Udon Thani, Phetchaburi, Uthai Thani and Kalasin provinces.
The first stage enabled farmers in 2,017 families to generate 285 million baht in income, enabling them to repay their debts. The programme has become a role model for rural development and the government agreed to expand it to other provinces.
Khon Kaen University agreed to join the project in fiscal 2016. It will establish a learning centre for sufficiency economy and provide training courses. The university plans to team up with 19 educational institutes to implement the project in the Northeast.
The project's secretary-general, MR Disnadda Diskul, said the programme and related agencies have applied the sufficiency economy philosophy to develop remote areas for seven years.