The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) hosted representatives from the TPQI - Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (Public Organization) on June 19, 2025, for a community service initiative that combined skills training with charitable giving.

The program, titled "Warm Hearts, Sweet Treats," took place at APCD's 60+PLUS Bakery & Chocolate Cafe, where TPQI staff worked alongside the employees with disabilities to produce bread for donation to the Rajvithi Home for Girls.

This collaboration perfectly demonstrates how inclusive workplaces can serve as platforms for broader community engagement. The initiative allowed TPQI personnel to observe firsthand the professional capabilities of workers with disabilities while contributing to a charitable cause.

Following the baking session, TPQI staff toured APCD facilities to examine accessibility features and workplace accommodations designed to support employees with disabilities. The visit highlighted APCD's ongoing efforts to create barrier-free work environments and promote professional development opportunities for people with disabilities.

The bread produced during the collaborative session was subsequently delivered to the Rajvithi Home for Girls as part of the program's community service component. This donation element transformed the skills-sharing activity into a meaningful contribution to local social welfare.

The partnership between APCD and TPQI reflects broader institutional commitments to disability inclusion and professional development. TPQI's participation in the program aligns with its organizational goals of promoting ethical values and volunteer service among its staff members.

Representatives from both organizations expressed satisfaction with the program's outcomes and indicated interest in future collaborative initiatives. The success of this partnership may serve as a model for similar inter-organizational programs promoting disability inclusion and community service.

Baking session with persons with disabilities.

Visit to APCD to study Disability-Inclusive Workplace environment.

Bread donation to the Rajvithi Home for Girls. 

On June 18, 2025 – Mr. Piroon Laismit, the APCD Executive Director, led the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) team in a courtesy call to Mr. Chulvat Narinthrangura Na Ayudhya, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation at the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA).

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between APCD and TICA, with both organizations exploring opportunities for enhanced partnership and future cooperative initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region.

The discussions centered on expanding joint efforts to promote disability-inclusive development programs and leverage Thailand expertise in international cooperation to support persons with disabilities across the region.

Discussion between APCD Team and TICA.

APCD Presents Gifts from APCD 60+ Plus Bakery & Chocolate Café to TICA.

On June 13, 2025 – Mr. Piroon Laismit, Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), warmly welcomed Mr. Timothy Owen Tate, General Manager of Millennium Hilton Bangkok, and his distinguished team to APCD headquarters on Friday, June 13, 2025.

The visit was part of a special collaboration under the APCD 60+ Project, where the hotel's leadership team participated in a meaningful baking workshop alongside individuals with disabilities. This initiative exemplified the spirit of inclusive community engagement and corporate social responsibility.

During the workshop, participants learned valuable baking skills from talented individuals with disabilities, creating fresh bread and pastries together. The collaboration demonstrated how meaningful partnerships can break down barriers and create opportunities for mutual learning and respect.

Following the baking session, Millennium Hilton Bangkok purchased the freshly baked goods directly from APCD, providing financial support to the organization disability empowerment programs. The team then visited the Bangkok School for the Blind on Friday, June 13, 2025, to donate the baked goods to students, extending the circle of community care and support.

This partnership aligns with APCD's mission to promote inclusive development and demonstrates how corporate engagement can create positive social impact while fostering understanding between different communities.

Interaction between guests and APCD Staff.

Baking activity with persons with disabilities. 

Bread donation to students at a School for the blind.

The National Defence College (NDC) Batch No. 67 (Tiger Group) and Able Prime, a social enterprise, conducted a strategic visit to the Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) on June 13, 2025. The delegation met with Mr. Piroon Laismit, APCD Executive Director, for comprehensive discussions on disability-inclusive training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

The meeting focused on collaborative initiatives regarding vocational training center for persons with disabilities and inclusive employment practices. All organizations explored synergies in their missions to advance disability rights and economic inclusion across Thailand.

Key discussion points included the development of accessible training facilities, employer engagement strategies, and sustainable employment pathways for persons with disabilities. The parties also reviewed APCD's five-year strategic plan and potential areas for NDC and Able Prime support.

Subway Thailand and Punthai Coffee have been identified as key employers who will provide employment opportunities for well-trained persons with disabilities from APCD vocational training of employability skills for persons with disability programs. These partnerships represent concrete steps toward creating inclusive workplaces and sustainable career paths for individuals with disabilities.

This partnership represents a significant step toward strengthening institutional cooperation between defense education, social enterprise, and disability empowerment sectors in promoting inclusive development throughout Thailand.

Photo of the Meeting chaired by Mr. Piroon Laismit

Visit to APCD 60+ Bakery & Chocolate Café to observe persons with disabilities at work. 

Visit to Subway Thailand to observe persons with disabilities at work. 

Visit to Punthai Coffee to observe persons with disabilities at work. 

A group photo of training participants, including members of the Dao Ruang Group and APCD taken at the training.

Mr. Somchai Rungsilp, Manager of the Community Development Department at APCD, and Mr. Narongril Wallaiabphan, President of the Dao Ruang Group, jointly delivered the opening remarks and emphasized the importance of the training session, which aimed to raise awareness and understanding of disaster preparedness for persons with disabilities.

Ms. Hiroko Itako, a Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) specializing in disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction (DiDRR), delivered a lecture on disaster preparedness to the training participants.

Participants were engaging in hands-on practice to strengthen their emergency preparedness skills during the training.

Representative members of Dao Ruang Group gave souvenirs to APCD staff as a token of appreciation for organizing the training.

APCD staff and the delegation from JICA Thailand Office and the International Development Center of Japan (IDCJ) were engaged in discussions on the implementation and outcomes of the TCTP training course on DiDRR.

Representatives from APCD and the evaluation team exchanged insights on course structure, participant follow-up, and challenges in implementing inclusive training.

Group photo was taken after the joint evaluation meeting at APCD. Representatives from JICA Thailand Office, IDCJ, and APCD participated.

On June 6, 2025, the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) welcomed a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the International Development Center of Japan (IDCJ) in Bangkok. The delegation included Mr. Shinji Maruyama, Senior Deputy Director from JICA’s Evaluation Department; Mr. Naomasa Fukuda, Representative of the JICA Thailand Office; and Mr. Yusuke Hasegawa and Dr. Ryo Sasaki from IDCJ. The visit was part of a joint evaluation for the Third Country Training Program (TCTP) on Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) in the ASEAN region.

The evaluation focused on the structure, outcomes, and challenges of the training program implemented by APCD. Representatives from APCD, including Mr. Somchai Rungsilp, Manager of Community Development Department; Mr. Watcharapol Chuengcharoen, Chief of Networking & Collaboration; and Ms. Hiroko Itako, Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteer on DiDRR, actively participated in the discussions. They shared insights on the program’s achievements, follow-up with participants, and recommendations for future improvements.

The evaluation team collected valuable data through interviews and discussions, which will contribute to broader studies of other TCTP courses. APCD is proud to collaborate with JICA and TICA to enhance capacity-building efforts and promote inclusion in disaster risk reduction. The findings from this evaluation will help refine future programs, ensuring greater impact across the ASEAN region.

A group photo showing the project's working group together with the project advisory board members, comprising representatives from various organizations.

Key representatives from DEP, Department of Employment, and APCD discussed the main outlines of the policy paper.

The 2^nd Project Advisory Board meeting marked a significant step in implementing the project, with key discussions focused on ensuring multi-stakeholder collaboration to promote disability-inclusive employment and business.

The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) actively participated in the First Session of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023–2032, held on 3–4 June 2025 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok and online. The session was convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

This inaugural meeting marked a crucial step in advancing the goals of the new Decade, which builds upon the achievements of the Incheon Strategy and the Jakarta Declaration to ensure the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life across the region. APCD has been represented by Mr. Somchai Rungsilp, Community Development Manager, together with Mr. Watcharapol Chuengcharoen, Chief of Networking & Collaboration and Ms. Supaanong (NuNu) Panyasirimongkol, Networking & Collaboration Officer.

The APCD delegations shared valuable insights drawn from their extensive fieldwork and regional engagement on inclusive community development, empowerment of persons with disabilities, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. APCD emphasized the importance of enhancing regional cooperation, strengthening OPD capacity, and ensuring that the decade’s actions align with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By participating in this platform, APCD reaffirmed its commitment to promoting disability-inclusive development and supporting the implementation of actionable and measurable frameworks that leave no one behind.

Dr. Nantanoot Suwannawut, Director of International Cooperation, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, had been elected as Meeting chair.

Mr. Somchai Rungsilp, APCD Community Development Manager, made intervention on both meeting days.

Mr. Watcharapol Chuengcharoen, Chief of Networking & Collaboration and Ms. Supaanong Panyasirimongkol, Networking & Collaboration Officer also attended the session.

The Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled (MCD) and the National Council for the Blind, Malaysia (NCBM) in partnership with the ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF) organized Webinar on “Strengthening Partnerships and Collaborations among Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and other Stakeholders to Advance Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction in Southeast Asia” as a disability cluster event at ASEANPeoples@ASEAN2025.

Ms. Nanda Annisa Husni, Information & Communication Coordinator of YEU, one of active ex-participants of APCD DiDRR training course along with            Mr. Somchai Rungsilp, APCD shared their experiences and good practices on implementing DiDRR in the webinar.

Keynote speech was delivered by H.E. Park Kim Hong, Deputy Secretary-General of National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM). Other resource persons included representatives from Government and OPD in Malaysia. The webinar was moderated by Mr. Tolhas Damanik, IFES-AGENDA Disability Rights Advisor.

The Webinar concluded with diverse experiences and lesson learned delivered from different levels, regional, national and community of various resource persons.

Ms. Nanda Annisa Husni, from Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU) and APCD representative shared their good practices on implementing DiDRR.

The Webinar concluded with diverse experiences and lesson learned delivered from different levels, regional, national and community by various resource persons. More than 30 people participated both in-person and online platform.

On Monday, 2 June 2025, APCD, along with DEP and the DIB project working team, joined the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Digital Transformation and the Future of Work for Persons with Disabilities held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, Thailand. The forum brought together people from diverse organizations, including representatives from the government sector, the private sector, and organizations for people with disabilities, to discuss digital transformation and its impact on people with disabilities.

The forum marked a significant step toward understanding how digital transformation can enhance the participation of people with disabilities in every aspect of society, and disability employment and future work are no exception. The forum emphasized the strengths and opportunities for inclusive digital in promoting many aspects of people with disabilities, as well as shared good practices of digital inclusion. The forum facilitated discussions among diverse sectors of society, focusing on the future of digital inclusion and how to meaningfully promote disability-inclusive digital transformation. This collective effort seeks to ensure that digital technologies contribute to improving the overall well-being of persons with disabilities, enhancing their quality of life, economic participation, and full integration into all areas of society.

There were over 170 participants in total for in-person and online participation, demonstrating the collective commitment to enhancing the digital transformation related future of work for persons with disabilities.

Group photo featuring participants from APCD, DEP, DIB project working team, and other stakeholders at the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum.

Representatives from DEP and experts from the DIB project share insights on inclusive digitalization and disability employment.