On a humid morning 22 years ago, in two hospitals an hour apart in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai, a miracle happened - twice.Kanokwan Nongyaw entered the world first, at Doi Saket Hospital. She weighed just 900 grams, small enough to fit in the crook of her father’s arm. A nurse carried the fragile newborn to the baby’s father, Saw Kampan, and gently asked if he wanted to keep her as she was unlikely to survive.“I’ll take care of my daughter, whatever it takes,” he replied.Hours later, after the mother, Ying Nongyaw, developed complications, she was rushed to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital in the city. There, her second daughter - Kamonwan - was delivered. She weighed 1.1 kilograms. The twins were born in different hospitals, under different roofs, in a race against time.They spent two months in incubators, suspended between life and loss. But they survived. They grew. They laughed. And, against the odds, they thrived.What they did not receive, however, was something more ordinary and yet still important: a nationality. Today, Kanokwan and Kamonwan are 22 years old. They live in Mae Tang district of Chiang Mai Province with their parents, from an ethnic minority, who work as construction workers. By law, the twins were entitled to Thai nationality. But that bureaucratic error at birth would shadow them for more than a decade.“The problem started with my father’s documents,” Kanokwan explained. “His name on our birth certificates didn’t match the name on his identification card.”Over the years, her father’s identification documents had changed - different names, a cancelled ID, a reissued number. What might seem like minor administrative discrepancies became seemingly insurmountable obstacles. When local officials tried to process the children’s nationality, the paperwork would not align. The applications stalled. Without a nationality, life is narrower. When scholarship opportunities required Thai citizenship, the twins were automatically excluded. When classmates applied for student loans to ease the burden on their families, they could not. If they wanted to travel outside their district for internships or competitions, special permissions from district office were required and sometimes denied.“It closed off opportunities for us,” Kamonwan said. “We studied hard. We qualified. But we lost chances simply because we didn’t have a nationality.”Statelessness affects every aspect of a child’s life. Without a legal identity, children are more vulnerable to poverty and have limited access to quality education, healthcare and protection. As they grow older, they face greater risks of exploitation and abuse and often end up in dangerous, low-paid work. Thailand is home to one of the largest stateless populations in the world. According to the Ministry of Interior, as of December 2025, more than 509,364 people in the country are stateless, including more than 150,000 children. While Thailand has made significant progress in its laws and policies, implementation at the local level remains slow and complex. District officials struggle with limited resources and heavy caseloads. Some are not fully aware of updated policies and procedures. At the same time, many stateless families, fearful or unaware of procedures, do not know where to begin.For the Nongyaw family, the process became a marathon. For more than ten years, Saw Kampan worked to correct his identification records. The family submitted documents again and again and patiently endured multiple interviews. In 2022, the twins, their brother and their father even agreed to DNA testing to prove paternity as evidence for the district office.“We were exhausted by the waiting,” said Kamonphob, their brother. “We submitted documents so many times. We did interviews. We did DNA tests. Then everything went silent. When we followed up, we were told to wait. Appointments were postponed. We almost gave up.” In 2021, UNICEF and the Legal Status Network Foundation, with support from the European Union, launched a Mobile Civil Registration Unit project to help stateless children obtain legal status and Thai nationality. Officials visited communities and schools, helped families prepare documents, submitted them to district offices and followed up on cases.The ongoing project eases the burden on families, teachers and district officers while helping to speed up the process. Since its launch, the project has reached more than 50,000 stateless children and helped over 10,000 gain legal status.The Nongyaw siblings were among them. Yet the process remained slow until a historic breakthrough.In October 2024, Thailand’s cabinet approved a resolution offering an accelerated pathway to permanent residency and nationality for more than 483,000 stateless individuals who have lived in the country since 1984. The number includes approximately 142,000 children born in Thailand from ethnic minority communities. For families like the Nongyaws, who had waited years or even decades, it marked a turning point.“The 2024 cabinet resolution has been transformative,” said Parinya Boonridrerthaikul, Child Protection Officer at UNICEF Thailand. “It significantly shortens the process from many months to just a few days in most cases. For children, that speed matters. It means faster access to healthcare, education, protection and opportunities that shape their future. We must ensure the momentum continues to reach every eligible child.”In October 2025, the Nongyaw siblings reapplied. One month later, they were granted Thai nationality.“I felt so relieved,” said Kamonwan. “It had been so long that we had almost stopped believing it would happen.” For Kanokwan, the timing changed everything. She is now in her second year at university, studying to become a teacher. Hoping against hope that she would achieve her legal identity, she chose to follow her dream of becoming a civil servant teacher, a career that requires citizenship. “It was risky,” she admitted. “But I want to teach children in remote ethnic communities. They face many challenges. I want them to receive the best education.”Her twin sister, Kamonwan, is also in university, hoping to build a future in business.For Kanokwan and Kamonwan, the second miracle of their lives did not happen in an incubator. It happened at a district office counter, stamped and signed.UNICEF’s Parinya said recent progress has shown that statelessness can be resolved - and resolved quickly - when policies are clear and properly implemented at local levels. UNICEF has advocated for this change over many years and with many partners and will continue to work with the Royal Thai Government and partners to end statelessness. This includes supporting birth registration and helping families access documents for nationality and residency. It also means advocating for stronger laws, policies and practice so that stateless children can claim their right to identity.“No child should grow up invisible,” she said. “Every child should be registered and legally recognized. When everyone is committed, we aren’t just gaining legal status or nationality for children, we are giving them a future.”Originally published by UNICEF Thailand

Each year, a small group of young people in Thailand gets a day inside the world of diplomacy. Not a briefing. Not a campus talk. But the daily work of international cooperation, up close.Now in its sixth year, the ‘Ambassador for a Day’ initiative has grown into one of the region's most visible youth leadership programmes. Forty-one participants aged 18 to 25 were selected from nearly 200 applicants nationwide to shadow female Ambassadors, senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and leaders from 15 embassies and 10 UN entities.The 2026 edition was co-convened by HE Mrs Anna Hammargren, Ambassador of Sweden to Thailand, together with Ms Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand. For Ambassador Hammargren, supporting the initiative reflects Sweden’s longstanding commitment to gender equality and youth leadership. “I volunteered to co-host this initiative because of Sweden’s and my own commitment to advance gender equality and strengthen youth leadership. While the share of male ambassadors is larger globally, Sweden has achieved near gender parity. Showcasing women as ambassadors – or in other prominent leading positions - sends a powerful message to the younger generation that leadership is possible and that women and girls' voices matter. Together with fellow female ambassadors in Bangkok, I hope to serve as a role model. In a world where fundamental rights in many areas are being rolled back, I am grateful that this campaign brings us together to send a strong message. We, as lady ambassadors, want to do what we can to contribute to a more gender equal society."This year’s programme also reflects a wider international conversation. The theme, Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for all Women and Girls, aligns with the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women held this month at the UN Headquarters in New York. Despite decades of progress, women globally still hold only about 64 percent of the legal rights granted by law. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly described gender inequality as the greatest human rights challenge of our time.For the UN in Thailand, this initiative helps bring these global debates closer to the next generation. "What stayed with me was not only the scale of our partnership this year, with the Ambassador of Sweden as lead co-host, but also the depth of the issues the young leaders engaged with, carrying forward a cause championed by International Women's Day for more than 100 years," said Ms Friberg-Storey. Selected winners brought the conversation to the Asia-Pacific International Women's Day commemoration at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok earlier this month. Discussions touched on uneven law enforcement, gaps in healthcare access, climate risks and artificial intelligence. Laws may exist on paper, but justice is measured by whether women and girls can truly exercise those rights. That requires institutions, communities and society itself to act not as bystanders, but as partners in advancing gender equality. Written by Kathleen PokrudOriginally published by Elite Plus [www.eliteplusmagazine.com/Article/1268/Thailand's_Youth_Step_Up_for_Rights__Justice_and_Action]

With its gossamer chambers and gleaming blue veins, the model heart that biology teacher Pimdao Nudklanarongrit placed on a metal tray did not look plastic as it filled the smart screen behind her. And despite the suits worn by the teachers and officials gathered in the smart classroom at Buriram Pittayakom School for a professional training session, they momentarily resembled students as they inclined toward the board and watched her demonstration. For Anasaya Boorapa, an English instructor at Siriket Nomklao School in Si Sa Ket province, the captivating display confirmed something she has witnessed in her own classroom in recent months. Before new digital tools were introduced late last year, 'learning was more passive, and students didn’t often volunteer answers to questions,' she said. Now, 'lessons are more interactive and students are more confident about sharing their ideas.’Boorapa's school is one of ten pilot institutions across northeast Thailand taking part in the Technology-enabled Open Schools for All (TEOSA) initiative, led by UNESCO's Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for UN Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok) in partnership with Huawei Technologies and Thailand's Ministry of Education. In December 2025, the initiative equipped one 'mother' school each in Buriram and Si Sa Ket provinces with Smart Classroom infrastructure — interactive displays, document cameras, table-level computers and high-speed internet — each linked to four surrounding 'child schools' able to receive and participate in lessons in real time.The need it addresses is acute. According to a 2022 national assessment by the World Bank and Thailand's Equitable Education Fund, 74.1% of Thai youth and working-age adults lack essential digital skills.TEOSA, also active in Brazil and Egypt, is part of UNESCO's broader effort to narrow digital divides and promote equitable access to quality education, a cornerstone of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4. On 19 March 2026, the International Day for Digital Learning will see UNESCO and UNICEF co-launch the Charter for Public Digital Learning Platforms, a framework to extend public education into digital environments equitably and sustainably.'The International Day for Digital Learning is a reminder that access to technology in schools is increasingly a key element for equal opportunities,' says Marina Patrier, UNESCO Bangkok's Deputy Director and Chief of Education.  'But technology alone has never been enough. What we are trying to support in Thailand is a model where teachers’ and learners’ capacity to use digital tools to enhance learning outcomes and inclusivity grows together.' That pairing was visible in Buriram on March 4 and 5, 2026, when 45 teachers from the pilot schools gathered for professional development and training on Smart Classroom tools, informed by the UNESCO's AI Competency Framework for Teachers. UNESCO's AI Competency Framework for Students was also presented, as teachers discussed their practical experience of using AI in class. Currently, only half of the countries around the world have standards for developing teacher ICT skills, according to UNESCO's 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, a gap the TEOSA Initiative was designed to address.The day before the biology demonstration, a mathematics class offered a preview of what that looks like in practice. Around 20 students competed to raise their hands to demonstrate the solution to a math challenge. When one was chosen, the document camera captured his worksheet and projected it onto the screen behind him. 'When I invite them to come to the front and write or solve problems on the board, they enjoy it even more,' says Woranitipat Worakaensai, a mathematics teacher at Khuean Chang Phittayakharn School. 'They are eager to come up and participate.'For Siravit Koram, a Grade 11 student at Buriram Pittayakom School, the effect extends beyond enthusiasm. 'The large screen helps us understand the laws of physics much better,' he says. 'It makes me want to explore and learn along with the technology.' The classroom-level change reflects broader policy developments. The UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers, translated into Thai through the TESOA initiative, has informed the development of Thailand's Digital Safety and Literacy Curriculum, a Ministry of Education programme to strengthen digital skills across all age groups. A training programme targeting an estimated 200 master teachers is planned for later in 2026, to be cascaded nationwide. In neighbouring Lao PDR, UNESCO has supported all 16 of the country’s Education Training Institutions to adopt a reformed digital curriculum to enhance teacher ICT and AI competencies at scale.Because Pimdao Nudklanarongrit’s biology session at the mother school was broadcast live and recorded, teachers at surrounding child schools had access to the same demonstration. In previous years, she says, the same lesson would have required a pig's heart and a room small enough for every student to see.‘The role of teachers is changing,’ says Anasaya Boorapa, ‘we can’t just be instructors, we have to use technology to facilitate learning.’ Originally published by UNESCO Bangkok

Chiang Rai, Thailand – At dawn on the Thai–Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sai, the first crossings of the day are already underway. Men and women from Myanmar move steadily into northern Thailand, some carrying small bags, others holding documents in plastic folders. On the Thai side, vans and labour brokers wait to take them to construction sites, farms and factories across the province.  Lin wonders what fate awaits these migrants. The 49-year-old has observed this routine for years. Each morning, she studies the crowd and wonders what will happen once they leave the bridge – who will find stable work, and who may need someone to stand beside them.A lifelong resident of Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai province, one of the busiest crossing points between Thailand and Myanmar, Lin has spent the past 15 years volunteering to support newly arrived migrants. By day, she runs a small jewelry stall to support herself. In the evenings and on weekends, she leads a grassroots self-help group that assists vulnerable migrants, many of whom are fleeing conflict, economic instability, or insecurity back home.“My purpose is to serve people,” Lin says. “Everyone deserves safety and a fair chance. When migrants arrive here, they come with hope. No one should take advantage of that.”    IOM and volunteers deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities in northern Thailand, supporting both migrants and host families. Photos: IOM 2024/Piraporn Tongjad, IOM 2026/Ratchanon KruenchitWhat began as a small circle of 10 volunteers – Thai host community members and migrants from Myanmar united by a shared sense of responsibility – has grown into a network of 60 members. The group sustains its work by pooling modest contributions from members.Their mission is simple but vital: to bridge communication gaps between migrants and local authorities. Language barriers often lead to misunderstandings, disputes, or even exploitation. Volunteers accompany migrants to government offices and service providers, acting as interpreters and helping ensure that concerns are clearly understood.In the early days, much of their work involved assisting bereaved families with funeral arrangements and navigating death registration procedures. Lin recalls one case involving a construction worker who died on the job.The employer initially refused to report the death, fearing legal consequences, and declined to compensate the family. The group stepped in. They raised funds for the funeral and worked closely with local officials, the employer and Thailand’s Social Security Office. After persistent advocacy, the worker’s family received 200,000 Thai baht – about USD 6,000 – in compensation.    Such cases reflect the broader challenges facing migrants in Chiang Rai, where an estimated 45 per cent of migrants from Myanmar are in an irregular situation. The local economy depends heavily on migrant labour, particularly in sectors such as construction and agriculture that involve physically demanding and sometimes hazardous work.Ongoing conflict and economic instability in Myanmar continue to push people to look for work across the border, even when the journey is uncertain.“Most people will take any job they can get,” Lin explains. “For them, it’s all about survival and supporting their families back home.”  Despite filling essential roles in the local economy, many migrant workers remain socially isolated, separated by language differences and uncertain legal status. This isolation can increase their exposure to unfair treatment and labour rights violations.By strengthening communication between migrants and authorities, Lin’s group aims to prevent disputes before they escalate and reduce the risk of abuse.    Cherry, a migrant from Myanmar and community volunteer, supports outreach and humanitarian activities for vulnerable migrants in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Photos: IOM 2026/Ratchanon KruenchitAmong the younger volunteers helping to build these bridges is Cherry, who understands these struggles firsthand. A migrant from Myanmar, Cherry first met Lin during a community health workshop early in the COVID-19 pandemic.Now 30, Cherry moved to Thailand at the age of 13 to reunite with her father, who worked in construction in Mae Sai. At first, she spoke little Thai. Each day, she crossed back into Myanmar to attend school. Despite the logistical challenges, she completed high school and later earned a university degree through a distance-learning programme in Myanmar.“I know what it feels like to arrive and not understand anything,” Cherry says. “You feel invisible. If someone helps you even once, you never forget it.”She began volunteering by translating COVID-19 public health guidance for migrant communities. Over time, her role expanded. She began assisting with small relief efforts, supporting outreach activities and helping new arrivals navigate basic services.When devastating floods struck Chiang Rai in late 2024, Cherry played a critical liaison role as Lin’s self-help group partnered with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to deliver humanitarian assistance.The volunteers supported rapid assessments in affected villages and helped identify the most vulnerable households. They assisted in distributing emergency kits containing food, water, blankets, and hygiene supplies to families who had lost homes or livelihoods. In total, close to 1,800 vulnerable people were reached, including host community members.For Lin, leadership does not require a title. It begins with noticing who needs support.“When women lead in their communities, they connect people,” she says. “They help others feel seen and heard.”As migrants continue to cross the bridge each morning, Lin remains there, watching, ready. For many, the journey into Thailand marks the beginning of uncertainty. For a growing number, it also marks the beginning of community support. IOM’s humanitarian assistance in Thailand supporting vulnerable migrants from Myanmar is funded by the Government of Japan. Originally Published by IOM