The Effectiveness of the Homeless Protection Center in Thailand

Abstract

The effectiveness of the Homeless Protection Center in Thailand was to provide the protection for homeless people in Thailand to receive the services and social welfare. However, the operation of the Homeless Protection Center still faces the problems, complexity in its processes and procedures. The number of homeless people throughout the country in 2017 still high, 70,539 people, and their quality of life were not developed properly. However, there were Homeless Protection Centers in Thailand that operated with a good level of effectiveness. Therefore, a case study was conducted and lessons learned from best practice were conducted. The research study was a mixed method and conducted from February to July, 2023. The research tools were the interviews and questionnaires. The method for collecting data was sending the interviews and questionnaires by mail to four the Homeless Protection Center, Nakhon Sawan Province, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The effectiveness of Homeless Protection Centers was analyzed by the descriptive statistics.

The research results found that the effectiveness of the Homeless Protection Center, Nakhon Sawan and Nakhon Ratchasima Province was at a good level. The effectiveness of the Homeless Protection Center, Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat Province was at a very good level. All four Homeless Protection Center had the following factors; strong policy factors, the executive leadership corporate support, good management stakeholder participation. The knowledge management and conflict management affected the development of the effectiveness of Homeless Protection Centers in Thailand. As a result, the homeless people received the appropriate social welfare. The physical and mental fitness was strengthened. They received a good medical care. The education and careers were promoted. The opportunities in society were promoted. There was a support for homeless people to get work and have shelter. They were protection for unfair discrimination against the homeless, good service quality as well as enhancing the integration and cooperation of all sectors. As a result, the helpless had returned to their families, community and society with happiness.