The Department of Mental Health (DMH) has set up counselling teams for the public following the suicide of two farmers believed to have suffered stress related to unpaid rice pledges.
Public Health Ministry spokeswoman Panpimol Wipulakorn said the department has established 853 district units of Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Teams to provide counselling.
The teams consist of doctors, psychiatric nurses, pharmacists, psychiatrists, social workers, public health academics and other professionals responsible for mental health care and counselling, Dr Panpimol said.
The teams will work with tambon health providers to promote hospitals and village health volunteers offering the counselling services.
Members of the public can also ring a hotline number on 1323 for around the clock counselling services from psychiatrists, she said.
The ministry has set an annual target of 31% of the number of people suffering from major depressive disorders they hope will access the counselling service.
Last year the target was 29%, she said.
Dr Panpimol said suicides could be prevented by the families of those affected by depression.
Family members must look out for any changes in the behaviour of depressed relatives and listen to their concerns without criticising them.
According to department statistics, an annual average of 5.9 people per 100,000 committed suicide from 2007 to 2010. The ratio climbed to 6.03 people in 2011 and 6.2 people in 2012.
The number of Thais suffering from major depressive disorders is estimated at 1.5 million at present, Dr Panpimol added.
The free counselling campaign kicked off after two northeastern farmers took their own lives on Sunday and Monday.
Thongma Kaisuan, a 60-year-old Roi Et resident, hanged himself in an orchard 500 metres away from Nonsan village in Muang district's tambon Non Rang on Sunday
His uncle, Mr Thawil, said Thongma was under stress as he was due to pay about 100,000 baht owed to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) next month, but did not have the money.
Thongma had not yet received 100,000 baht owed to him for pledged rice and did not know when the payment would be made, Mr Tawil said.
A village headman in tambon Sone of Si Sa Ket's Khukhan district also took his own life the following day.
Muang Panchart, a 46-year-old village chief of Moo 21, hanged himself in the woods near his house.
His wife, Kampun, said Muang was under considerable stress as he had also not received payment for his pledged six tonnes of rice over the past two months.
Villagers had also complained to him about the delayed payments, she said.
Muang had led residents of his village to Khukhan's BAAC office to demand the payment, but bank staff told them the government had not yet transferred the money, she said.