Thailand

The Kanchanaburi Project, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University

Location
A new field station study centre was opened in September 2001 on the Kanchanaburi campus of the university, a rural region 80 km west of Bangkok. Over the next few years, the area is likely to undergo significant development, including deforestation and changes of land use, and population dynamics, such as migration across the Myanmar-Thai border.

Lead researcher
Dr Bencha Yoddumnern-Attig

Activities
The study centre supports a field-based research programme, investigating the long-term demographic composition of communities on the Thai-Myanmar border and the health consequences of migrating populations.

Researchers are establishing a household and community database covering the demographic, health, social and economic composition of some 80 villages and urban communities. The effects of changes introduced into communities are being evaluated using specific controlled intervention studies.

The programme also supports research training, including fellowship, PhDs and Master's degrees.

New knowledge will be disseminated to policy makers, planners, researchers, local-level officials and community leaders. The ultimate aim is to provide strong evidence on which to base policy and health care.

In the long term, the field station aims to become self-sustaining after completion of the project.