Ruswadee Sa-i stopped going to school after completing lower secondary education at 15. However, he was considered too young to get a job, so for the next three years, he ended up hanging out with friends and helped his mum with household chores. Then, a knock on his door changed the course of his life. It was a youth worker who had come across his mum and worried about her son's limbo.
"She asked whether I wanted to reintegrate," he said. "I accepted her offer. After a three-year break, I wanted to get a job to support my family."
Ruswadee grew up in a Muslim village in Sungai Padi district of Narathiwat. At the time, his dad, assistant to the village head, suffered from paralysis, leaving his mum to care for the family. Since his childhood passion for art was not practical, he was not interested in following the trodden path, which limited him to menial and agricultural jobs. His siblings had already left the village for better opportunities in cities, with some working in Bangkok.
Vilasa Phongsathorn of Unicef Thailand. (Photo: Taleh)
Many young people aged 15–24 are "not in employment, education or training" (NEET). According to the International Labour Organization, in 2024, nearly 1.2 million young people (12.5%) in Thailand are classified as NEET. Challenges hinder their access to educational and employment opportunities, especially in the four southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Songkhla. Data by Unicef Thailand shows that Narathiwat has the highest rate of NEETs at 28.2%.
"NEET is not a pronoun, but a situation. Upon return to study and work, young people will no longer be considered NEET," said Vilasa Phongsathorn, an adolescent development officer at Unicef Thailand. "While many reports still use the term 'NEET youth', we are trying to change it. As the Labour Force Survey collects data on a weekly basis, employment status can change."
Vilasa said those classified as NEET include young women who have left school due to responsibilities and/or pregnancy. Disabilities and financial challenges are also barriers to their access to education and employment. A study by Unicef Thailand in 2023 found that 68.2% of NEET youth lack motivation for developing skills and preparing for employment. Despite their low-income background, they drift through life aimlessly.
"It is urgent to address this problem. As Thailand has already aged, NEET youth make up over one million people of the working-age population," she said.
Ruswadee Sa-i, 19. (Photo: Thana Boonlert)
Inspired by the European Union's Reinforced Youth Guarantee, Unicef Thailand has launched a pilot project to reduce the number of NEET youth. Its four stages include mapping young individuals, outreach to target groups, preparing participants and offering youth education and employment opportunities.
In collaboration with the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), Unicef Thailand kicked off the scheme in tambon Na Phu of Udon Thani last year and is now being expanded. This year, Unicef Thailand has joined hands with the Ministry of Labour to launch the initiative in four southern provinces.
Between July 2024 and January 2025, the pilot project in Narathiwat recruited 335 NEET youths (224 males and 111 females), with a reintegration rate of 77%.
A life-changing opportunity allows them to realise their potential. With the support of a youth mentor, Ruswadee, now 19, recently completed a two-month course in mechanics at Narathiwat's Royal Vocational Training Centre, which provided free boarding and lodging. In early March, he started a one-month paid internship at a local garage, providing oil change, motor part replacement, and tyre services. He now repairs around seven motorbikes a day.
(Photo: Thana Boonlert)
"My life is getting better. I really enjoy what I am doing. The job meets my expectation," he said. Sunthorn Madlae, director of the Narathiwat Provincial Labour Office, explained that young participants in the South often come from a financially disadvantaged background, growing up in broken families and engaging in substance abuse. As a result, they fear that they will be found out by authorities. Besides, they often skip class and drop out of training.
"I think it all comes down to parenting. We use a lot of tactics to change their behaviour and inculcate positive values, such as hard work, through religious education," he said.
Sunthorn highlighted that youth mentors are the key to reintegration. "The majority of people in the South are Muslims and speak Melayu. With an understanding of local language and culture, they can identify and reach out to target groups," he said.
Butsarin Awea, a youth worker in Sungai Padi, is a mentor for participants like Ruswadee. She makes household visits and builds trust with each family. After getting approval from parents, she convinces youths that training will change their life for the better. She provides continuous support until they are successfully reintegrated into further education or employment.
Youth mentors. (Photo: Thana Boonlert)
"I am rooting for them to make it to the next stage," she said.
Aoythip Saiworn, a youth mentor in Takbai, said NEET youths prefer to develop vocational skills. Self-employed jobs, like mechanics and electricians, are popular partly because a limited number of business establishments are available in her district. While most factories are labour-intensive, other positions such as those in an air-conditioned convenience store require applicants to graduate with a bachelor's degree.
"Youths are therefore pursuing vocational training in the hope of launching their own business. However, they lack seed funding or quit under pressure and then end up in NEET status again," she said.
Sunthorn Madlae, director of the Narathiwat Provincial Labour Office. (Photo: Thana Boonlert)
Vilasa hopes that the Ministry of Labour will integrate the programme into its policies. Despite the satisfactory offer rate, challenges continue to compromise nationwide scale-up. Some NEET youths are not ready for training due to lack of commitment. In addition, databases are not integrated and youth mentors are not available in every province. Although youth mentors are full-time government employees who have graduated from university and earn a monthly salary of 15,000 baht, volunteers receive 600 baht in compensation for their service.
Going further is also challenging for youth. Because of financial difficulties, hopes are fading that Ruswadee will be able to study mechanics at a nearby vocational college. If he continues to work, there are only a few garages in the village and they are unable to hire more staff. Therefore, Butsarin is working hard to provide him opportunities.
"If I really have to find job elsewhere, I will go to Bangkok. I can work and live with my siblings," he said.
