Bangkok Conference Focuses on Benefits of Family Life

Bangkok, Thailand – On July 15-16, 2025, UPF-Thailand, represented by Secretary General Mr. Kamol Thananopavarn and Office Head Mrs. Sasichanya Asavarattanakasikorn, participated in the 2025 National Women and Family Assembly. The conference, themed "Synergizing to Create a Friendly Environment for Women and Families," was organized by the Department of Women's Affairs and Family Development, under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

Mr. Woravut Silpa-archa, minister of social development and human security, delivered the opening remarks and received the conference's final proposals. Mr. Anukul Peedkaew, permanent secretary of the ministry, gave the closing remarks.

A crucial point of discussion in one of the assembly's sessions was the rapid decline in the birthrate in recent years, which has led to a noticeable decrease in Thailand's population. Thai people are losing confidence that having children and raising a family will bring happiness, stability, and a sense of significant value in life. Instead, they increasingly see this responsibility as a heavy burden. Despite government policies and financial incentives designed to encourage women to have children and to improve the welfare of mothers and infants, fewer young people are forming families. Many couples are choosing to have only one child, or not to have children at all. 

This will lead to a severe decline in Thailand's industrial and service sectors, as well as its gross domestic product (GDP), due to a smaller working-age population. It has been forecast that within the next 50 years, more than one-third of the population will be over 60, while less than one-third will be of reproductive age (17-45). The total population of Thailand is projected to be less than half of what it is today.

This is an urgent matter that the government and all sectors of society must address together. UPF is committed to helping the Thai people, especially the youth, regain confidence that marriage, family life, parenthood, and having more than one child can bring beautiful experiences of love and connection, as well as prosperity, and stable and lasting happiness that can be passed down through generations.

By Kamol Thananopavarn, Secretary General, UPF-Thailand July 16, 2025