SOS Children's Villages started working in Thailand in 1971, after Queen Sirikit of Thailand had seen the work of the organisation while on a state visit to Austria. At first the organisation was present in Bangpoo, near the capital city of Bangkok, but has since started providing support in a further four locations in the country.
Nongkhai's location on the border does not only promote trade with Laos, it also encourages some illegal activities: trafficking of people is one of the problems the province faces. Children from Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam are taken to Thailand for commercial sexual exploitation, to sell and beg on the streets of big cities, or to work as domestics. The government tries to prevent this by passing the required laws, but enforcing them often turns out to be more difficult than expected.
Children often have to beg from tourists or help their parents in the fields in order to earn money and raise the family income, which means they have to work long hours and do not have time to attend school. They are exposed to pesticides and often have to use dangerous tools. Ethnic minorities, stateless and migrant children are most at risk of engaging in the worst forms of child labour.
In order to reach out to the families of the north-eastern province and support their children, SOS Children's Villages decided to set up an SOS Children's Village in Nongkhai. The programme is located in the government district of the provincial capital, with markets, schools and hospitals close by.
