An Analysis of the Alignment of the King’s Philosophy Demonstrated in the Khao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study Center with the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

King Bhumibol Adulyadej had been promoting self-reliant or sustainable farming since the 1950s and it was later widely called the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy or SEP. The Office of the National Economics and Social Development Council has included the SEP in its National Economic and Social Development Plan since 2002. The 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan for 2023-2027 has focused on tangible development implementations and has adopted both SEP and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of its main principles. SEP and SDGs seem to align in the high-level strategies and this study serves as evidence at the operational level. The objectives are to 1) to study the King’s Philosophy and the Khao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study Center 2) to study the UN SDGs 3) to analyze the alignment of the King’s Philosophy demonstrated in the Khao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study Center with the SDGs. The study is done by documentary research.

The study found that the King’s Philosophy is the wisdom of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great derived from his exploration aiming to improve Thai people’s living conditions. The Sufficiency Economy Philosophy or SEP is the foundation of King’s philosophy with three concepts: moderation, reasonableness and risk management plus all-round knowledge, and morality. Six Royal Development Study Centers were created in all regions to provide a one-stop service that shows research and demonstrates operational success. The Khao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study Center was the first center in Thailand and has proven outcomes of changing degraded land into healthy areas and providing training to villagers and the public. The UN SDGs were agreed in 2015 by 193 country members, including Thailand. The 17 goals can be grouped into five dimensions including people, prosperity, planet, peace and partnerships, with the hope to end poverty, protect the planet, and tackle inequalities, which leave no one behind. The Khao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study Center’s activities directly support 14 goals, covering all five dimensions, out of 17 SDGs, and could serve as one of the concrete examples for other national and international communities to strive to reach their SDGs.