Demographic Effects and Poverty: Evidence from Studies in Thailand

Sirirat Taneerananon, Prince of Songkla University

The paper presents some of the findings from the Participatory Poverty Assessment of Thailand, funded by the Asian Development Bank from August 2001 to August 2002, and from the Ultra Poor in the Southern Thailand, funded by Thailand Research Fund, from January to December 2000. The former research project, with qualitative, focus group-based study conducted nationwide covering six regions of Thailand, was a furthur study from the latter conventional quantitative-approached which aimed to survey the socioecomics of the poor households in the south of Thailand. Though different approaches were used, both studies’ common objectives were to survey and assess the causes and impacts of poverty, the poor households’ responses to poverty, government and other agencies measures toward poverty. Recommendations on policies to best address the needs of the poor were made.