User:Kai moook/sandbox

The Royal Project Foundation is a Thai non-profit organisation based in the northern part of Thailand. It was founded by His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The main focus of the foundation is to improve the quality of life of hill tribe people. This is to reduce their opium-growing and to revive the forests and water resources. The Royal Project Foundation is considered as one of the first and most successful projects for opium production elimination. It was also awarded The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation for International Understanding in 1988.

History
The Royal Project began in 1969, when His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej unofficially visited an opium-growing hill tribe village in Doi Pui. During his visit, the King learned that the local type of peach in that area could also provide income for the hill-tribe people. His Majesty found that the Doi Put Development Centre, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, were testing and developing a suitable type of peach for the environment which could also provide higher income to the local people than the opium-growing. Therefore, His Majesty gave 200,000 baths to the Royal Project from his own personal funds.

During the first few years since the project started, the project received support from international departments. In 1972, the UN realised the importance of the alternative agriculture to replace opium-growing which they had decided to promote and support the UN/Thai Program for Drug Abuse Control. Between 1973 and 1984, USDA-ARS also supported The Royal Project by giving some money to the project for research and development to find the best and suitable type of fruits and vegetables for the highlands.

In 1992, the Royal Project changed its status to the Royal Project Foundation and became a public organisation for the people’s benefit permanently.

Purpose
The Royal Project Foundation’s purposes follow the Royal Initiative of His Majesty, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. When the project began, the main purpose was to improve the quality of life of the hill-tribe people and to decrease the opium-growing in the highlands. Later on, the purposes were expanded to cover more issues but still aim to improve the quality of life of highland communities. Nowadays, the main purposes of the Royal Project Foundation are:


 * 1) To help the hill-tribe people for better life
 * 2) To prevent the destruction of natural resources which include forest and water resources
 * 3) To decrease the opium growing
 * 4) To take care and make the best use of the soil in each area
 * 5) To increase the amount of alternative agriculture for the benefits of Thailand’s economy

Development centres
Nowadays, the Royal Project Foundation has 38 development centres spread across 5 provinces over the northern part of Thailand, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Lamphun and Phayao. The development centres are not only for researching and developing projects for the foundation but some even became tourist destinations.



In Chiang Mai, there are 27 development centres which include 3 Royal Agriculture Stations, Doi Ang Khang, Inthanon, and Pangda, 1 Reserch Station, Mae-Lod, and 23 development centres, Ka Noi, Khun Phae, Khun Wang, Teen Tok, Tung Rao, Tung Roeng, Tung Luang, Nong Khieo, Nong Hoi, Pa Mieng, Pang Ung, Mon Ngo, Mok Cham, Mae Tho, Mae The Nuier, Mae Phae, Mae Sa Pok, Mae Sa Mai, Mae Hae, Wat Chan, Haui Luk, Haui Siao and Huai Som Poi.

In Chiang Rai, There are 3 development centres which are Pha Tung, Mae Poon Luang and Sa Ngo.

In Mae Hong Son, there are 6 centres which are Mae La Noi, Mae SaRiang, Huai Nam Khun, Huai Nam Rin, Huai Pong and Huai Lang.

In Lam Phun, there is only one development centre which is Pha Bath Huay Tom.

In Pha Yao, there is also one development centre which is Pang Cha.

Projects
Projects are changing, developing and adapting to the issues and things that need to be solved or improved for the highlands environment. All the projects are made to achieve the main purposes that the Royal Project Foundation has and to improve the quality of life of highland communities to be the best it can be. Over the past 15 years, the foundation’s projects have focused on similar things including marketing as well as improving the quality of vegetables and fruits to be more suitable for the highland environment and environmental conservation.

The Marketing Project is the research on the cost and profit of the Royal Project’s fruits and vegetables. This project also studies the customers’ behaviours in choosing and buying the products from the foundation. This is to come up with the best marketing plan for selling the royal project’s products.

The project on improving the quality of life of the highland communities is the research to improve and solve the problem of the highland farmers as well as improving the hill-tribe people’s health. This project also studies the changes in the people’s behaviors and life style of people in the highlands.

The environmental conservation project researches highland environment which cover forest, land, water and soil to be able to make the best usage in each area and still keep the plentifulness of nature and environment.