Community Reflections and Poverty Alleviation Strategies in Pak Chom District, Loei Province

Abstract

This study aims to proactively identify poor households through a community-based segmentation process at the sub-village (khum) level and to present community reflections that inform sustainable poverty alleviation in Pak Chom District, Loei Province, Thailand. The target population comprised 643 poor households. A mixed-methods approach was employed, emphasizing participatory processes involving researchers, community members, and local agencies. Research instruments included questionnaires, unstructured interviews, and focus group discussion guides. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data from interviews and group discussions were examined through content analysis.

The findings indicate that poor households can be classified into four levels based on five dimensions of livelihood capital: (1) extreme hardship (43 households; 10.62%); (2) severe hardship (83 households; 20.49%); (3) moderate well-being (264 households; 65.19%); and (4) relative well-being (15 households; 3.70%). Community reflections on poverty highlighted several key issues, including the need to transform livelihood strategies to improve social status, limited access to land and natural resources, and the diverse origins of poverty. These reflections provide a foundation for formulating targeted policy interventions, particularly in enhancing community capacity through education, strengthening the local economy through job creation, and reforming land resource allocation. Such area-specific policies can effectively contribute to sustainable poverty reduction.