งานวิจัยและบทความ

In 1973 the Catholic diocese of Ubon in northeastern Thailand established the Diocesan Social Action Center (Disac). This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the social-economic developments sponsored by the organization, as well as a general overview of the Catholic Church in Thailand. Broken into two stages, the first three-year plan (1983-1985) provided assistance through various projects, including the establishment of rice and buffalo banks and provision of good drinking water supplies. The second stage (1986-1987) involved development strategies instituted through loans given to business projects and small urban traders. Furthermore, Disac established a Credit Union for a group of housewives in a rural slum, which aimed to alleviate reliance on loan sharks. These projects are put in comparison to the work of other, often Buddhist donor organisations in Thailand, as well as similar efforts by the Catholic Church in Indonesia. Furthermore, the Diocesan Social Action Center is contextualized through a historical understanding of the presence of Catholics, particularly French Catholics, in Thailand and relations between Catholics and the Thai people in the past, present and future.