Ms. Amornthip PAKSUCHON from Thailand
My name is Amornthip Paksuchon, and I am
from the Department of Disaster Prevention
and Mitigation in Thailand. The main mission
ofthisdepartment

istointegrateandcollaborate with relevant agencies on disaster
preparedness. During emergencies and their
immediate aftermath, the department does thisby assisting disaster victims and rehabilitating
the areas affected by the disaster, and by mobilizing diverse forms of assistance relevant
todisasterrecoveryandrehabilitation

acrossdiverseareas.

Ineveryday,

non-emergency situations, the department develops preparedness activities byconducting training courses, holding simulation exercises, and coordinating withvarious agencies, both public and private, through the Ministry of Interior.
The main responsibility of the Disaster Prevention Promotion Bureau is to promote andsupport disaster prevention among the general public by raising public awareness of
disaster risks through disaster prevention activities. Its prevention efforts include
encouraging public awareness of disaster risk reduction in different areas, such as at
the community level and in the schools. They also include coordinating the disasterprevention activities of other concerned agencies and conducting communication
activities to build capacity and strengthen communities in high-risk areas.
I am involved in human resource development under the Disaster Prevention
Promotion Bureau. I have been working as the liaison to the director on the preparationand implementation of training activities and seminars/workshops on disaster risk
management, and have helped coordinate various disaster management activities withother agencies, including joint seminars, conferences, and fire fighting drills.
As a VR in 2010, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to all of those who
contributed to my selection as a participant in this valuable program. The ADRC's
Visiting Researcher Program is a great opportunity for me to learn more and conduct
research around the "Comparative Study on the Dissemination of Disaster Prevention
Culture for Communities." The ability to share information and experiences with other
ADRC members and JICA participants will help me develop a strategic approach to thepromotion of safer communities in my own country.
My participation in the JICA training course "Dissemination and Establishment ofDisaster Prevention Culture for Asian Countries" has been key for learning how thisknowledge can be used to develop interesting activities. Kaeru Caravan is a great new
method that I learned from the JICA training course, and is a model that will facilitate
the implementation of various activities and help strengthen the disaster prevention
culture in my home country. This course also allowed participants to reinforce theirrelationships with one another, thereby strengthening information networks on disastermanagement in the Asian region.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the government of Japan and ADRC,
both its management and staff, for all the support they have given me, for being such acooperative partner to the Kingdom of Thailand, and for allowing me to have such afruitful experience in Japan.