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Thailand Country Report:

The Promotion of Blind Masseurs in Thailand

Pecharat Techavachara*

Organizations of and for the Blind in by demonstration of well trained blind people
Thailand have great privilege in organizing in our society and the increasing numbers of
th
the 12 WBUAP Massage Seminar at Golden institutions, organizations of and for the Blind
Tulip Sovereign Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand throughout Thailand. Besides special schools
during 5-7 May 2014. The outcome of this set up especially for the Blind (now 14 schools),
significant event will surely bring great ben- thousands of blind students are studying with
efit to people in the field of blindness par- sighted students in public schools. There are
ticularly those in the field of massage. 5 vocational training centers for the Blind
Seventy some years ago, blind people throughout Thailand. Now there are more than
in Thailand were helpless and a burden to one thousand of blind people with Bachelor
their family! Having a blind child in one fam- Degrees and over a hundred with Masters’
ily was a belief that the family must have Degrees and three persons with doctorate
had a great sin in their past lives! Many people degrees (two men and one lady). There are
thought at the time that blind children were more and more blind people engaged in the
a bit better than chairs and tables because occupations of teachers, telephone operators,
they could talk. After Miss Genevieve call center, telemarketing, musicians, health
Caulfield, an American Blind lady, came to masseurs, hospital workers, astrologers, lot-
Thailand in 1939 and found the first school tery tickets selling, etc. We also have blind
for the Blind, the belief regarding blindness people self employed in various businesses.
and blind people has been gradually changed. This report will deal mainly with the de-
Much progress has been achieved after Thai velopment and progress of the massage for
Government began to pay more attention to the Blind in Thailand.
the Disabled by passing the Rehabilitation The teaching of Thai massage to the
Act in 1991 and Persons with Disabilities Blind started in 1977 at the Skills Develop-
Empowerment Act in 2007. The public aware- ment Center for the Blind of Foundation for
ness concerning the Blind has been increased the Blind in Thailand under the Patronage of
HM the queen. When Mr. Pecharat Techava-

*President, Foundation for the Employment Promotion of chara (board member then) introduced AJ.
the Blind Pisit benjamongkulvaree, one of the most re-