BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has reaffirmed the government’s support for local economic development through the Small-Medium-Large (SML) community fund scheme, originally introduced in 2001. Speaking at the opening of the “Directly Delivering Opportunity to Communities – By the Community, For the Community” event at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani on April 21, the Premier outlined plans to strengthen community engagement and scale successful projects nationwide.
The SML program is managed by the National Village and Urban Community Fund Office and involves over 79,000 community organizations with more than 13 million members. With a total circulating budget exceeding 300 billion baht, the fund supports local projects based on decisions made directly by community members. Depending on the size of the community, budgets are allocated in tiers of 200,000 to 400,000 baht per project.
At the event, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of allowing communities to determine their own priorities through participatory decision-making. Projects supported under the SML fund include clean water systems, public safety infrastructure, and other small-scale initiatives that aim to improve daily life and stimulate local economies.
Now in its 24th year, the scheme has been updated to place greater emphasis on sustainable development at the grassroots level. The government states that, beyond financial assistance, its focus is on strengthening local capacity by enabling communities to take a more active role in managing resources and finding solutions that meet their specific needs.
The government is considering increasing budget allocations for well-performing communities as part of efforts to expand the impact of the fund. Officials view the current phase of the SML program as a foundation for bolstering local resilience and encouraging bottom-up contributions to national growth. (NNT)
