Thailand

January 6, 2010

Geographic map of southeast Asia with Thailand highlightedHistory
Goodwill Industries of Thailand began in 1966 with the aim of assisting persons with disabilities to earn a living for themselves and for their families.

Programs and Services
Kanittha Dhevinpudi is the chairperson of Goodwill Industries of Thailand. According to her, “Perceptions of people with disabilities are changing. Instead of thinking they need charity, now they are seen as capable of being contributing members of society.”

Country Profile
Country name: Thailand
Capital: Bangkok
Population: 66,720,153
Land Size: 198,115 square miles (slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming)
King: Bhumibol Adulyadej
Prime Minister: Yinglak Chinnawat
Language: Thai
Unemployment: 1.1 percent
GDP (PPP): $586.9 billion
GDP (PPP) per capita/ average income: $8,700
Statistics for Persons with Disabilities: According to a 2007 Disability Survey, 2.9 percent of the population have disabilities. According to figures from the National Statistics Office in 2007, 65 percent of persons over the age of 15 with disabilities were unemployed.

State of Disability Legislation
Articles 30, 55 and 80 of the constitution stipulate the elimination of all restrictions barring persons with disabilities from exercising their rights, especially their rights to participate in politics. The Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act was passed in 1991. It is a comprehensive disability law that includes an employment quota of 2 percent. The country has also signed and ratified the UN Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities.