Thais ‘have better childhoods’ than most peers in region

Thai children experience better childhoods than most of their peers in Southeast Asia, according to new report, but migrant children are being left behind.

Thailand is 84th in a global ranking of the best and worst countries for children to grow up in, putting it ahead of regional neighbours like Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, a report from Save the Children reveals.

The ranking puts Thailand in the top half of the ledger. However, many migrant children living in Thailand are having their childhoods cut short in large numbers, especially because of their lack of access to education, it said.

There are approximately 225,000 migrant children in Thailand who are currently out of school. For those who are in school, only 1% are enrolled in higher secondary levels.

Launched to coincide with International Children’s Day today, the “Stolen Childhoods” report examines countries using a range of indicators related to events that signal the end of childhood.

The report’s index of 172 countries ranked Thailand as the 84th best country overall for children to experience childhood, ahead of Vietnam (92), the Philippines (96), Indonesia (101), Myanmar (112), Cambodia (117) and Laos (130).

However it lagged behind China (41) and Malaysia (65). Meanwhile Norway and Slovenia topped the index, followed by Finland, with Niger ranking last.

“The report shows some positive signs for the well-being of children in Thailand, which ranked mid-table overall and across most of the indicators, such as early marriage, child labour and underfive mortality. However, there is plenty of room for improvement,” Save the Children’s country director in Thailand, Kim Koch, said.

“While Thailand performed comparatively well in things like the percentage of children out of school [10%], the same cannot be said when it comes to migrant children living in Thailand, of whom around 60% are out of school.

“This disparity is really concerning, and it’s a big reason why Save the Children is campaigning to ensure all children in Thailand can access education, regardless of their background, ethnicity or circumstances,” Ms Koch said.

In Thailand, as part of its global Every Last Child Campaign, Save the Children is calling for clear guidelines and dedicated support programmes at primary level for migrant, refugee and ethnic minority children.

“Every child deserves — and has a right — to go to school, which is such a fundamental part of a safe and happy childhood,” Ms Koch said. If children cannot go to school they are having their childhood cut short, she added.