Ex-PM Setha Leads Initiative to Help Dairy Farmers, Feed Vulnerable Children
Former PM Setha is redirecting surplus dairy milk to feed vulnerable children in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, and Ratchaburi through his Seermkla Foundation, partnering with dairy organizations and private companies to address farmer hardship whi
Former Prime Minister Setha Thawissin is advancing a social mission through the Seermkla Foundation, linking problems with opportunities by redirecting surplus raw milk from the market to provide nutrition for vulnerable children. Coordinating with the Thai Dairy Promotion Organization and private-sector partners including Sansiri, the initiative will distribute dairy products to schools, charities, and early-childhood development centers in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, and Ratchaburi province. The effort transforms what is a crisis for dairy farmers into an opportunity to improve nutrition and quality of life for at-risk children and youth.
Dairy products distributed through this program will reach schools and organizations caring for children and youth in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, and Ratchaburi province, an area where Setha previously championed the Thailand Zero Dropout program to keep at-risk children in school. Supporting children in Ratchaburi now extends that earlier focus on educational opportunity into nutrition and quality of life—foundations that allow children to learn, grow, and develop their full potential. This is not simply purchasing surplus milk or donating it to children, but connecting a problem to an opportunity and finding ways to maximize the benefit of existing resources across multiple areas simultaneously.
"Since my time as Prime Minister, I have prioritized improving people's quality of life from the grassroots level—creating opportunities and raising farm incomes while reducing educational inequality," Setha stated. "Though my role has changed, I continue these principles through the Seermkla Foundation, established in 2011 to promote education, health, sports, and quality of life for disadvantaged children and youth in Thailand. The foundation serves as a mechanism linking business, partners, and capable individuals to work together on social problems with concrete results." The foundation's current initiative reflects an approach emphasizing connection and partnership rather than working alone, bringing private-sector capacity and networks together with government and civil-society organizations to expand the positive impact of targeted help, since social problems should not be solved in isolation and lasting change requires cooperation across all sectors.
