
The National Statistical Office and partners are conducting the country's first official survey on the lives of the LGBTQ+ population from June to September in order to improve services for them.
Kanjana Phumalee, the NSO's director for policy and academic statistics, said the country had no statistics on this sector of the population because most of them did not want to disclose their personal information.
As a result, there was a lack of clear data that would help in policy formulation, she said.
The NSO and the Institute for Population and Social Research of Mahidol University in 2019 attempted to gather information on the group by posing one question on gender in a survey on people's working conditions.
The answers in that survey indicated that LGBTQ+ people accounted for just 0.7% of households nationwide. The results suggested that 1.5% of respondents aged 15-20 self-identified as LGBTQ+, Ms Kanjana said.
"Thai society needs to increase understanding about gender diversity," she said.
The NSO, the population research institute of Mahidol University and the ThailandHealth Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) are conducting the new survey.
ThaiHealth assistant manager Poranee Puprasert said the foundation intended to promote good health for all groups of people in the country but still lacked adequate and up-to-date information about gender diversity.
Clear information about LGBTQ+ people would allow the foundation to promote their health effectively, meet their needs and tackle their specific issues, she said.
"This survey on the LGBTQ+ population will gather reliable information on physical and mental health, living conditions, appearance, relationships, stigmas and discrimination," Ms Poranee said.
"The data can be used to work out social, economic and health policies and measures and create understanding about LGBTQ+ issues, including health and economic inequality and the prevalence of discrimination," she said.
Assoc Prof Kritaya Archavanitkul, advisor to the survey project, said the country had never conducted a systematic assessment of the population with gender diversity.
According to her, the survey will be conducted from June to September. It will consist of a survey on 2,400 households in Ratchaburi province and 1,100 people aged 15-25 at educational institutions in Nakhon Pathom province.
There is also an online survey on 1,500 general people aged 15 and over.
Following the survey, interviews will be conducted with members of the surveyed households that include gender diversity. Questions will probe their knowledge of health, sex identity, gender, tastes and sexual orientation.
"Reliable information on the LGBTQ+ population is one of the most important factors for the development of an inclusive society that reduces inequality and promotes fairness," Assoc Prof Kritaya said.