On 10 September 2023, the Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led a delegation comprising members of the diplomatic corps and foreign media in Thailand to visit the Doi Hang Correctional Institution Learning and Agrotourism Center in Chiang Rai province as part of a field trip on ‘Sustainable Development, the Rule of Law and Opportunities for All.’

Upon their arrival, Mr. Pairat Khaminthakool, Superintendent of Chiang Rai Central Prison, together with the officers of the Doi Hang Correctional Facility, briefed the delegation on the history and mission of the Doi Hang Correctional Institution Learning and Agrotourism Centre. Namely, the Center trains male inmates near their release on vocations to equip them with marketable skills. It is also part of the ‘Kamlangjai’ or ‘Inspire’ Project under the royal initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, which was established to assist people in the justice process who are in need of support. It does so by creating opportunities and a new hope in life which utilizes the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy as a practical and implementable approach.

During the study visit, the delegation observed 14 vocational training stations within the Centre, such as a herb garden, the ‘Khok Nong Na’ model on land management, landscaping, livestock breeding and integrated agriculture stations. In addition to preparing inmates for their future professions and life back in society, the Doi Hang Correctional Institution Learning and Agrotourism Center is also open to the general public, including schools in the area, and tourists visiting Chiang Rai province. This enables inmates to earn from their work at the Centre to supplant their post-release funds and local schools to utilize the Center as a learning tool.