When we talk about “inequality,” we often picture differences that are hard to bridge. Deep down, we all wish for our loved ones, future generations, or ourselves to have access to good education, adequate healthcare, and a safe quality of life. Yet in reality, the cost of accessing these essentials is so high it becomes a barrier that leaves many people behind.
Thailand has spent huge budgets every year trying to break down this barrier. Yet why does inequality stubbornly persist and become deeply entrenched? The answer may not be that we are trying too little, but rather that we may be addressing the problem with the same old approaches.
Imagine solving social problems as pouring water into a leaking jar. The traditional Activity-Based budget is like repeatedly scooping water in, measuring success only by how many buckets are poured, how many activities are completed, or how many people are trained—without ever plugging the leaks or checking if any water is actually left to drink.
This cycle causes budget overruns but no real improvement in people’s lives. However, in a small corner of the country, a group led by Dr. Santi Lapbenjakul, together with the National Health Security Office (NHSO), the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), and partner networks, is posing a national challenge: “Is it possible to drastically reduce inequality using only the existing state resources?” The answer to this question is a new equation called SIP-PFS (Social Impact Partnership - Pay For Success).
Often, government agencies and private sectors work on the same problems but "in silos." The core of SIP (Social Impact Partnership) is to break down these walls and serve as a "connecting mechanism" to unite the strengths of all sectors.
In fact, Thailand does not start from zero. We have valuable "hardware"—state infrastructure spread throughout the country, such as over 52,000 early childhood development centers, schools, hospitals, and large budgets. Meanwhile, civil society and local workers have the "software": knowledge, care, and innovative problem-solving that have proven effective.
The uniqueness of the SIP approach in the Thai context is that we do not have to wait for giant investors or centralized government orders. Instead, SIP acts as a mechanism to "plug in" good software from civil society into the state's hardware, transferring know-how. It gradually permeates and expands like a spreading star, transforming the country’s ecosystem using only the "power of coordination and quality content." With a strong SIP mechanism combined with Pay For Success (PFS)—where payment is made only upon proven results—miracles happen. This is the good story now blossoming in Thailand.
When we plug quality software from civil society into the state’s hardware, miracles happen. Here are some inspiring examples blossoming in Thailand: . The “Angel Teacher” project that transforms schools into safe spaces to prevent youth mental health crises.
In an era when Thai children face stress, bullying, depression, and suicide attempts nearly doubling, traditional punishment or discipline no longer work. The project pioneered the "Angel Teacher" innovation, turning teachers into deeply listening, understanding, non-judgmental supporters who systematically heal children’s emotional wounds.
Within just three months at pilot schools, students at risk of self-harm dropped dramatically, and the dropout rate fell from 3% to only 0.01%. This pulls children back from the brink, giving them a chance to grow toward a better future.
A Nobel laureate economist once said that investing one baht in early childhood yields tenfold social returns. The ICAP project transforms state early childhood centers by reorganizing environments, creating learning corners, and teaching executive function (EF) skills—all set up in just 10 days.
The miracle unfolds in 12 weeks: 98% of children with developmental delays achieve age-appropriate progress. This truly sets inequality to zero from the very start of life.
Moving from awareness to national change, this model has expanded to help children with learning disabilities (LD), convert disability benefits into real job opportunities, and provide care for chronic patients to relieve suffering.
These stories reflect that "Thailand already has the solutions." We have talented people and innovations that work. Moreover, laws now enable the state to collaborate and pay based on outcomes.
What Thai society needs now is not just sympathy for inequality, but "awareness and collective voice" to support this new approach—to ensure social investment is used most effectively. So that one day, a society where people with disabilities have jobs, the elderly are cared for, patients do not suffer, and all Thai children have equal chances to grow will be not just a dream but a reality in every corner of the country.