The Thai government is preparing to roll out an updated version of the Small Medium Large (SML) Project, a major community development initiative, ahead of the Mobile Cabinet Meeting scheduled for early May 2025. Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, Jiraporn Sindhuprai, traveled to Nakhon Phanom province on April 28, 2025, to meet with Village and Urban Community Fund Network representatives from five northeastern provinces. Discussions focused on finalizing readiness and reviewing operational plans to ensure effective project implementation.
During the gathering, attendees included Wichit Khruesuk, Deputy Director of the National Village and Urban Community Fund Office, Worawit Pimphanit, Deputy Governor of Nakhon Phanom, and committee members from Village Fund Networks in Zones 4 and 8, along with other key government officials. They evaluated fund management practices and the preparedness of local communities under the updated SML Project guidelines.
The Village and Urban Community Fund, launched in 2002, remains a central policy tool for enhancing local economies by promoting employment, boosting income, and fostering broader wealth distribution. Successive governments have continued to support the initiative as part of national strategies to combat poverty and strengthen rural economies.
The revised SML Project requirements mandate that participating villages must be formally registered as legal entities, must have submitted financial statements for the past two years, and must maintain an active Village Committee. Community projects must emerge from verified local needs, established through formal community consensus processes.
Minister Jiraporn emphasized that the administration of SML funds is conducted transparently to benefit the public, highlighting that the project’s framework empowers local communities to shape their development paths in line with democratic principles.
