Mesures prises:
The Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior has set up volunteer networks with humanitarian mandate at the district level, such as Village Committees, Territorial Volunteer Defense Members and Village Security Teams. Their mandates include disaster relief and need assessment to report and refer to relevant agencies, including district branches of the Thai Red Cross Society. Volunteers under the Ministry of Interior receive periodical training with the aim of enhancing capabilities and of expanding and strengthening volunteer networks.
With regard to disaster prevention and mitigation, the Department of Disaster Mitigation and Prevention, Ministry of Interior also registered and trained civil defence volunteers to assist public authorities in time of disasters and other emergencies.
Within the public health sector, the Emergency Medicine Committee recently adopted regulations in 2023 that formally institutionalizes the roles and authorities of emergency medicine volunteers. The National Institute for Emergency Medicine also promotes trainings of emergency medicine volunteers in different health scenarios, including emergency first aid and intervention in hazardous areas. Concerning mental health, the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health provides programs and trainings to ensure that village health volunteers and prisoner health volunteers work to support the Ministry’s work on mental health in accordance with the guidelines.
Developments have also been made on the use of technology to enhance and facilitate volunteer networks. In 2021, the Thai Red Cross Society launched Volunteer Thai Red Cross Information System (VTRIS) mobile application as an online platform to connect volunteers, build networks and inform them of key updates and opportunities under the coordination of the Thai Red Cross Youth and Volunteer Bureau.
