Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he has instructed all government facilities to be accessible to the handicapped and those who require supporting equipment. Prayut said all government facilities must assure that social equality is upheld and fundamental rights are protected. “These facilities and services include mass transit, public restrooms, and other places that need ramps for people who travel in wheelchairs. These ramps must not be too steep so that the disabled can help themselves. Ramps must also connect places in the facility, so that people in wheelchairs can have equal access to things they need,” Prayut said. He said Koh Kret, one of the most famous tourism sites in Nonthaburi, has been developed as a pilot project of the creation of Universal Design Community Mode. The project has been carried out with help from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Transport, Chulalongkorn University, Pak Kret Municipality, and members of Pak Kret community.
He said the Koh Kret model “is to promote the convenience and safety of the handicapped and those who require supporting equipment to go about daily life”. “The definition includes the elderly, recovering patients, veterans, young children, pregnant women and even ladies in high heels and short skirts. They will be able to leave home and carry out activities conveniently and safety, able to roam freely and independently without requiring the assistance of those around them,” Prayut said.
