Demographic behaviour responses to poverty, findings from the participatory poverty assessment of 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. The study was conducted on a nationwide basis covering six regions of Thailand. The objectives were to carry out a comprehensive assessment of poverty, including its causes and impacts; to assess the responses of the government and other agencies in addressing the needs of the poor and to recommend policies for the government to best address the needs of the poor. The methodology used was qualitative approach with emphasis on focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and observation-participation. The quantitative data were also used to complement the qualitative methods.