The Public Health Committee of the House of Representatives has opened a forum for youth to propose solutions to mental health problems. Meanwhile, MP Sakolthee encouraged young people to use this platform to develop skills and further their social participation.
On 30 August 2026, the Public Health Committee of the House of Representatives provided a platform for students and youth to participate in the seminar "Developing Youth Potential in Well-being and Quality of Life: Youth Voices for Well Being Camp," held on 22-23 and 29-30 August 2026. The event aimed to enhance youth knowledge, understanding, and enable them to express opinions on health and quality of life issues affecting their generation.
Sakolthee Phattiyakul, Chairman of the Public Health Committee of the House of Representatives, encouraged the students and youth participating in the event. He supported their use of the platform to share constructive opinions and jointly seek ways to address problems affecting teenagers and young people.
On the final day, students and university participants presented their work via slides. Each group chose mental health issues relevant to adolescents and youth to analyze, covering emotional, social problems, and even smaller issues that might impact young people's daily lives and quality of life.
Each youth group collaboratively analyzed the root causes of the problems, identified target groups for intervention, and proposed practical solutions that could be implemented in the future. This approach ensures that youth proposals go beyond problem identification to become actionable strategies for improving health among the younger generation.
Following the presentations, committee members and experts listened and provided additional comments and suggestions to help refine the youths' ideas, making them more comprehensive and feasible. Participants offering feedback included Sakolthee Phattiyakul, Chairman of the Public Health Committee; Chaiyana Dechdecho, party-list MP from the Democrat Party and former Deputy Minister of Public Health; and Satit Pitutecha, former Deputy Minister of Public Health.
At the same time, the Public Health Committee emphasizes providing space for youth to learn and exchange views on health-related issues directly. Youth are seen as a group capable of closely reflecting the problems and needs of their peers.
Moreover, involving youth in designing strategies to promote their own and community well-being helps develop essential skills such as analytical thinking, communication, teamwork, leadership, and social responsibility, while fostering understanding of participatory processes in public issues.
Sakolthee stressed that the Public Health Committee hopes this event will be another venue to develop youth who can apply knowledge and experience forward, as well as build a strong youth network to drive health initiatives and socially beneficial issues for the long term. He also viewed the four-day course as a success.
"This project is certainly neither the first nor the last. We will hold similar events again in two or three months. Therefore, I invite all interested youths to follow upcoming announcements and encourage the first cohort of youth to express interest in becoming mentors for the next event," he said. /** No text provided for translation. **/
In September, the Public Health Committee plans two major seminars. On 14 September 2026, there will be a seminar on rare diseases. Although this may seem distant to many, patients with these conditions face high medical costs because treatments are often not reimbursed, such as for muscular dystrophy, where medications are very expensive. On 28 September 2026, a seminar will be held on the public health insurance fund for all citizens.
