6 provinces in Thailand suffer persistent poverty, as gaps get smaller in some, NESDC report reveals
A recent report from the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) revealed that efforts to address poverty and inequality in Thailand have not been entirely successful.
Despite an overall reduction in inequality, some provinces are still grappling with persistent poverty issues, it found.
NESDC, in collaboration with the World Bank, recently hosted a meeting titled “Bridging the Gap: Thailand’s Path to Inclusive Prosperity”.
At the summit, it was revealed that the overall
assessment of Thailand’s situation in 2022 indicates an improvement in the national poverty situation, with poverty rate dropping from 6.32% in 2021 to 5.43%.
However, challenges persist in the South, the Northeast and North, in that order. While poverty has generally reduced across the country compared to 2021, Bangkok and the North have experienced slight increases, possibly due to higher inflation.
The proportion of people living in poverty in Bangkok rose to 1.37% from 0.57%, and in the North to 6.8% from 6.77%.
Meanwhile, as many as 9.30% of people in the South live in poverty, followed by 7.81% in the Northeast and 6.8% in the North.
The top 10 provinces with the highest poverty rates in 2022 include Mae Hong Son, Pattani, Tak, Narathiwat, Kalasin, Nong Bua Lamphu, Yala, Si Sa Ket, Chai Nat and Ranong.
According to the report, six of these provinces, namely Mae Hong Son, Narathiwat, Kalasin, Pattani, Tak and Si Sa Ket face “persistent poverty”.
Over the past 23 years, 36 provinces have consistently ranked in the top 10 for poverty rates, with Mae Hong Son being among the top five for 19 years running.
Positive development trends have been observed in provinces like Buri Ram and Saraburi, which featured in the top 10 poorest list for more than a decade, but not in the past three years.
Apart from lifting the veil on the stark reality of poverty, the report also raised concerns about the government’s budget allocation policies, noting that they do not effectively address the issue of poverty.
For instance, the two provinces with the highest poverty rates, such as Mae Hong Son and Pattani, receive the lowest budget allocation.
This suggests a need for the authorities to reassess the budget criteria, focusing on economic conditions rather than factors like the gross provincial product, population size and area size.
