On behalf of UNDP I am very pleased to present Thailand Gender and Development Facts and Figures for the year 2000.

The booklet was produced under the Gender Mainstreaming Facility approved by the UNDP Administrator. The facility was established as an initiative which allows the Gender Focal Point to prepare related documents such as this booklet. The booklet is a combination of a country profile and resource kit. It will provide readers who are new arrivals or on mission with an analysis of the social, economic, political and cultural structure of the country from a gender perspective and sources of gender-related information and key contacts in Thailand. It will also be a basic resource for programming purposes.

I would like to congratulate the Gender Team of UNDP and UNIFEM on the publication. Thanks are also due to Dr. Pawadee Thonguthai from Thammasart University for her role as the main author and editor. Finally, a special thank to the experts and resource persons from various academic institutions, government departments and NGOs for their active participation and useful comments.

I hope that readers find the booklet useful and that they are able to use it to contribute to the advancement of women in Thailand.

J K Robert England
UNDP Resident Representative
And Resident Coordinator Thailand