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Thai government has perceived poverty as a high priority area of action. Urgent policies and programs has been launched to combat poverty. The programs includes: Debt Suspension for Farmers, the Village and Urban Revolving Fund, the One District One Product program, the People´s Bank, and the Universal Health Assurance program. However, these programs are being questioned as to whether they reach the poor or not. This research could fill the gap of knowledge in term of whether the policy and programmes of government have contributed to empower the poor in the rural communities.

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Jaturong Boonyarattanasoontorn graduated B.A. (Political Science) from Ramkhamhaeng University in 1984, M.A. (Economics) from Chulalongkorn University in 1994, and Ph.D. from Thammasat University in 2006. Lecturer and chairman of executive committee for master degree of social work and social welfare, Huachiew chalermprakiet University.

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