Paper

Report on Best Practices for Sustainable Models of Pro-Poor Rural Financial Services in Thailand

Overview of rural finance and case studies from four community financial institutions
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This report analyzes the present pattern of rural financing in Thailand and the factors contributing to the success of financial support systems which provide financial assistance to sustain rural development and farmers’ organizations. It explores the best practices and systems prevailing in the rural financial market and establishes their scope for replication and scaling up in wider contexts.

The report provides an overview of rural finance, key players and their roles, challenges, typology of providing rural finance, regulatory framework, enabling environment and the capacity levels of rural financial institutions in Thailand. More importantly, it includes a detailed documentation of best practices of the community financial institutions (CFIs) from four geographical regions of the country.

The report aims to enhance learning through sharing of best practices among APRACA member institutions and other financial institutions operating in the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, the report attempts to answer the following key questions:

  • What are the best practices, how are they applied and what is their role in strengthening rural finance?
  • How can all stakeholders be prepared for adoption of the best practices?
  • How do these best practices affect inclusion, especially from the point of view of small producers and what can be done to effectively and efficiently replicate these best practices?
  • What can the government and non-government agencies do to support increased and more effective replication of the best practices?