Management of NGO/INGO in Thailand: Development, practices, concerns and recommendation

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Generally speaking, Thailand has a long tradition of and is well known for its
generosity in giving to philanthropic, religious as well as numerous social causes. This,
basically, could be a main root for non-governmental organization or NGO to place its
footprint in Thai society. The term NGO, however, has still been understood in various ways
by different individuals, groups, and organizations in the country. Ordinarily, in a general
Thai context, NGO refers to citizen organizations in every area, ranging from education to
health care to poverty-reduction to the environment. Many NGOs are registered as
foundations or other forms of legal entity, some however prefer to stay as informal as
possible. At present, NGOs in Thailand are quite varied and diverse, while mostly seem to coexist
quite well with the government and its governing laws. Even so, despite a relatively open and free
environment for NGO, a number of them have often faced hostile reactions from others in the
country. With Thailand’s political transformation and rapid change in today’s world, NGO’s space
in the society has become somewhat even more limited. Given NGO’s experience, expertise
and value in numerous areas, this paper is an attempt to present a big picture of what’s going
on with the NGO concept in Thailand, particularly its development and current practices. At
the end, some concerns and recommendation are provided and questions are raised in order to
emphasize the importance of working together among all relevant parties for the most good
of all.