The Prime Minister opened the 2026 National Public Health Volunteers Day with warm words comparable to meeting an old lover. He praised the 'gray uniform warriors' for their shared hardships and selfless care of the public, affirming the government's importance placed on them and urging pride in this rare asset found nowhere else in the world.
At 09:45 a.m. on 20 March 2026 GMT+7, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul presided over the event for the 2026 National Public Health Volunteers Day, held at Asia Airport Hotel, Lam Luk Ka District, Pathum Thani Province, with Minister of Public Health Pattana Promphat also attending.
The Prime Minister said at the opening, “Today I am glad to meet you again, like meeting an old lover. I am wearing a lucky shirt today. I am not just wearing your shirt; I am a village health volunteer (Public Health Volunteer) from Buriram Province. I would like to introduce myself to all public health volunteers here. Today is the National Public Health Volunteers Day 2026. If I did not have unavoidable duties, I would join you in person because we are all 'gray uniform warriors' together.”
“We have shared hardships and joys, working together to care for the health of our fellow citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside doctors, nurses, and all health personnel for four years while I was Minister of Public Health. We have formed strong bonds.”
“As Prime Minister, I constantly believe in the importance of our public health volunteers. I am confident that besides health personnel who provide medical, nursing, and pharmaceutical care, public health volunteers are vital assistants playing a crucial role in maintaining the quality of life of the people. The government, Ministry of Public Health, and Thailand cannot do without every one of you.”
The Prime Minister continued, “I congratulate all public health volunteers today who have been selected to receive the Outstanding Public Health Volunteer Award. Thank you for your dedication, sacrifice, and wholehearted commitment of time and effort in performing your duties to care for the health and quality of life of the people. Many here know that Thailand has been praised by the World Health Organization and recognized internationally for having a strong, capable public health system.”
“Whenever we receive such praise, two things are always highlighted: our universal health coverage system and the presence of village health volunteers. Few countries have a system like ours. You are a very rare asset in this world and a source of pride. Because of this valuable role, the government continuously prioritizes developing the capabilities of public health volunteers. We aim to advance modern volunteers to become 'Smart Public Health Volunteers' with comprehensive health knowledge and modern skills, ready to use technology as a tool to connect health knowledge to the public, ensuring convenient and timely health services for all.”
“In addition, our public health volunteers must be developed with the knowledge and skills needed to manage and solve community health problems, integrating health services between the government and community at all levels, and serving as leaders in changing health behaviors locally. The best way to fight diseases is good health habits: knowing what to eat, how to live, how much to exercise, and how to handle stress for oneself and family. I urge all public health volunteers and health networks to take pride in their roles and work together to encourage public participation in health care and self-reliance, ensuring the country's health security moving forward.”
