The King graciously appointed Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha to deliver royal supplies to officials and residents of Ban Nam Ri Phatthana, Khun Nan Subdistrict, Chalerm Phrakiat District, Nan Province, and to monitor the progress of projects under the royal initiative.
At 09:30 on 28 May 2026, His Majesty the King graciously appointed Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, Privy Councillor and Chairman of the Sustainable Quality of Life Development Project under the Royal Initiative, to deliver royal supplies to officials and residents in the Ban Nam Ri Phatthana area, Khun Nan Subdistrict, Chalerm Phrakiat District, Nan Province. The ceremony was attended by Privy Councillors Gen. Chalermchai Kitisath and Air Chief Marshal Chom Rungsawang, who also monitored the progress of the sustainable quality-of-life development project at Ban Nam Ri Phatthana School. Mr. Assit Sampanrat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, assigned Mr. Chaiwat Chuenkosum, Deputy Permanent Secretary and Head of Disaster Management and Urban Development, to represent the Ministry at the event. The Governor of Nan, Mr. Chainarong Wongyai, along with local officials, state enterprise representatives, local administrative organization executives, village heads, volunteer defense force members, village security teams, and the residents of Ban Nam Ri Phatthana, also participated in the ceremony.
On this occasion, Privy Councillor Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha led attendees in offering incense, candles, and flower arrangements in royal homage before portraits of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen. Afterwards, the Privy Councillors and senior officials watched a "Tee Ple" performance, a traditional folk music and dance unique to the Lawa ethnic group residing in the northern highlands. They then received a briefing from Nan Governor Chainarong Wongyai and listened to a royal message expressing concern for the people and all stakeholders.
Following that, the Privy Councillors and senior officials jointly presented 300 sets of royal supplies and 150 school bags to the community. They then held a ceremony to issue land-use entitlement booklets covering 4,828 rai, 1 ngan, and 47 square wah in national reserved forest areas, and distributed valuable tree seedlings (white cassia) to representatives of Ban Nam Ri Phatthana residents. The Privy Councillors also planted white cassia trees on the school grounds and inspected projects including the installation of additional water storage tanks and piping to Ban Nam Ri Phatthana School to alleviate low water flow issues. They visited the pilot agricultural plot (greenhouse vegetables) at the communal farm, presenting avocado, coffee, sweet passion fruit, and cherry tomato seedlings to agricultural leaders. Additionally, they witnessed the handover of a Solar Rooftop system to the Ban Nam Ri Phatthana Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital as part of a solar power installation project to address frequent power outages.
Privy Councillor Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha conveyed the royal message from His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, who graciously bestowed royal kindness upon the people of Ban Nam Ri Phatthana. They authorized the Privy Councillors to deliver royal supplies to officials and residents and to monitor the progress of the sustainable quality-of-life development project under the royal initiative. The project's objectives are to support knowledge-based occupational development for stable incomes; ensure effective natural resource and environmental management within the community; enhance education and life skills suitable to local livelihoods and global conditions; create community participation mechanisms; strengthen leadership and community networks; promote the application of modern technology and innovation; and ultimately improve residents' quality of life for more effective community activities. It also aims to foster opportunities for learning new skills and to conserve and develop community identity, such as cultural lifestyles, local wisdom, and indigenous products, leading to economic, trade, and cultural tourism development.
Privy Councillor Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed gratitude to representatives of all agencies and local volunteers who cooperated in the work to boost morale and benefit the community, fulfilling the King's steadfast royal intention. He emphasized to the people of Ban Nam Ri Phatthana not to forget their Thai identity, stating, “This is Thailand, this is the land we must preserve. We must care for this land because it is the birthplace and homeland of all of you, so that our children can live happily and sustainably. Let us build a future for our descendants and ourselves, grandparents included, based on righteousness and honesty. The government's role is only part of the effort — "sustainability depends on all of us." We must live sufficiently and adequately to honor the King's royal intention, which we must continue by local people leading the way. This is your home, your city, your residence. Every tree, every house, every clod of earth must be preserved. The government supports with knowledge and resources where lacking, but we must all continue to sustain, preserve, and develop sustainably and continuously. Children must study well and understand the history of Ban Nam Ri Phatthana. We must help develop this area from a security zone into a peaceful and prosperous community through cooperation and dedicated effort. Regardless of ethnicity, we are all Thai citizens living on Thai soil. We must uphold the law; those who break it must be punished. I also leave three guidelines for the community: 1. The entire village must care for large trees, which take 50 to 100 years to grow; 2. Take good care of the land allocated by the government for cultivation; and 3. Study carbon credit issues, which can generate income through planting.”
Nan Governor Chainarong Wongyai stated that the people of Nan deeply appreciate the immense royal kindness of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, who care for citizens in remote areas and graciously authorized the implementation of the "Sustainable Quality of Life Development Project under the Royal Initiative" to improve rural residents’ quality of life while conserving, restoring, and managing natural resources and the environment. Ban Nam Ri Phatthana is a Lawa ethnic community located on the highlands bordering Laos, 165 kilometers from Nan city, covering 41,112 rai within the Doi Phu Kha and Pha Daeng national reserved forests. The community has a population of 1,011 and has been continuously developed under royal initiatives through projects such as the Nan Basin Security Development Project and the Phu Phayak Royal High Agricultural Development Station.
“On 30 March 2026, the Sustainable Quality of Life Development Project Committee, chaired by Privy Councillor Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, approved Ban Nam Ri Phatthana as the first pilot area to drive the project. Nan Province and all sectors have worked collaboratively within a task force framework covering various dimensions, achieving tangible progress such as allocating cultivation land in national reserved forests, developing water sources, installing solar power systems at the subdistrict health promotion hospital, piloting agricultural plots, and repairing public infrastructure like bridges and roads. Nan Province and all sectors will earnestly apply the royal initiative to resolve problems and develop the area for security and sustainability, making Ban Nam Ri Phatthana a model for balanced quality-of-life development that can be expanded to other areas.”
Meanwhile, the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has monitored the impact of weather conditions on daily life in Ban Nam Ri Phatthana. Previously, natural disasters caused trees outside power lines to fall onto electrical wires, resulting in prolonged power outages. This disrupted the preservation of medicines, medical supplies, and vaccines that require continuous temperature control, causing damage to medical assets and public health services. To address this, PEA funded the installation of a solar power system on the roof of Ban Nam Ri Phatthana Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital to mitigate frequent power outages. The installed Solar Rooftop system, with backup power, includes a 5 kW solar cell array and a 7 kWh battery, enhancing energy security in this remote area and benefiting the local population.