On 30 January 2026 at 9:30 a.m., Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, graciously presided over the opening ceremony of the Academic Conference on the “Reforestation and Income Generation Project under the Royal Initiative” at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Commemorating the 7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai Province. On this occasion, Mr. Suthep Kaengsanthia, Permanent Secretary for Education, together with advisors to the Royal Initiative projects and heads of government agencies, attended to receive Her Royal Highness.
On this occasion, Her Royal Highness conferred honorary pins upon 36 exemplary individuals, groups, model innovations, and model practitioners of the “Reforestation and Income Generation” initiative, in recognition of their good practices. She then delivered the opening royal address as follows:
“I am pleased to preside over the opening of the Academic Conference on the Reforestation and Income Generation Project today.
The implementation of the Reforestation and Income Generation Project requires knowledge and understanding, a sense of responsibility, and the cooperation of relevant agencies together with local communities who make use of forest resources. This cooperation is necessary to establish approaches that enable communities and forests to coexist in a mutually supportive manner. Forests provide immense benefits to all forms of life: they are sources of food and water, and they also help create occupations and generate income for communities. Conserving forests in a healthy and complete condition, and increasing the number of high-quality plant species to make forests denser and more resilient, is therefore of great importance, so that people may continue to benefit from forests in a sustainable way.
For this to be achieved, communities must be provided with knowledge and understanding, encouraged to participate in conservation efforts, and instilled with a love for forests and nature from a young age, so that everyone may help protect and preserve these valuable natural resources in their own local areas for generations to come.
I would like to thank all agencies and individuals who have worked together with dedication in carrying out the Reforestation and Income Generation Project. I wish everyone happiness, well-being, and continued success in their work and in life.
It is now an appropriate time. I hereby declare the Academic Conference on the Reforestation and Income Generation Project open.”
Following this, Her Royal Highness viewed a commemorative video entitled “13 Years of Royal Compassion: Restoring Forests, Generating Income, and Strengthening Thailand”. She then observed presentations on good practices by exemplary individuals, groups, and practitioners involved in the project, as well as a commemorative performance entitled “The Forests of the Land, the Forests of Life.” Her Royal Highness also visited the royal exhibition in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, and other exhibitions within the event, including “Learning to Love Forests: Creating Value and Generating Income,” “Preserving Existing Forests, Expanding New Forests: Restoring Forests, Generating Income, and Building a Sustainable Thailand,” exhibitions on income-generation extensions, and the market fair “Products from Reforestation and Income Generation.”
This academic conference was organised to disseminate Her Royal Highness’s royal duties and the operational approaches of the Reforestation and Income Generation Project under the Royal Initiative, which has been continuously implemented since 2013, spanning 13 years to the present. The project initially began as a pilot in Nan and Loei provinces, before expanding to Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, and Lampang provinces. At present, 19,956 farming households participate in the project, covering a total area of 73,368.75 rai. As a result, previously degraded forest areas have regained fertility, local people have achieved greater food security, earned income from the sale of forest-based produce, and enjoyed an improved quality of life.
This year, the Department of Learning Promotion served as the principal host of the conference, held from 30–31 January 2026 under the theme “13 Years of Royal Compassion: Restoring Forests, Generating Income, and Strengthening Thailand.” Participants included officials, teachers, and farmer members of the Forest Restoration and Income Generation Project from Nan, Loei, Chiang Mai, Tak, and Mae Hong Son provinces, under the Department of Forestry and the Department of Learning Promotion, as well as representatives from the Department of Provincial Administration, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, and other relevant public and private sector organisations.
