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gender identity (such as the case of uniform worn by transgender students), structural discrimination, and
blocking gender diverse persons from using certain services or places.
In 2017 there were situations that importantly challenged understanding about gender as interpretation,
or gap that allowed interpretation, was still found to affect, in one way or another, discrimination as defined

in the Gender Equality Act, B.E. 2558 (2015) which allowed discrimination based on religious principle or for
national security or for protection of welfare and security. This interpretation was against general opinion of
CEDAW Committee. In addition, it was found that Protection of Children Born with Reproduction Technology
Act, B.E. 2558 (2015) gave right only to legally-married husband and wife to have a child born from another

woman who agreed to get pregnant on their behalf even if it was right to form a family. Whether to live their
life together as husband and wife, and to legally register their marriage, or not is commonly decided by the
loving couple. The law then discriminated against homosexual couple, depriving them right to form a family.
Legislations related to this discrimination must be improved, amended and developed in the future.

Old persons

The State made progress in its actions concerning old persons with various policies, national plans and

measures being developed in response to ageing society. However, the Global Age Watch Index, which assesses
success from implementing policies for old people in countries all around the world from income security,
health, capacity and enabling environment put Thailand in mid table, ranking no. 34 from 96 countries being
studied. It was also found that many old persons still faced the problem of poverty, having income lower than

the Poverty Line, that was 2,647 Thai Baht per month per person. They still needed to depend on incomes
from other people and needed to earn incomes for living. Many old persons still had restrictions to receive
subsistence allowance for old persons, especially stateless old persons and old persons living in remote areas
who did not have information about their eligible rights. Moreover, some old persons were found to face

violence in various forms, such as being discarded to live in isolation, being discriminated, lack of infrastructure
for old persons specifically, financial exploitation and lack of system for special care in long term, for example.

Persons with disability

Much progress had been made by the State to promote, protect and develop life quality of persons
with disability. Thailand made accession to become a state party to the Optional Protocol of the Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disability to guarantee persons with disability’s rights and liberties that may

be violated as recognized by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), and
guaranteed access to effective remedy process. In addition, the government tried to reduce inequality in
access to health benefits for persons with disability by issuing Head of the NCPO’s Order no. 58/2559 about
public health service for persons with disability according to the National Health Insurance law and social

security law. Policies and guidelines for life quality development of persons with disability, including right
to access to rights, benefits and assistance from the State, were fixed and implemented, such as a project
to create 10,000 jobs and occupations for persons with disability. A policy in 2017 created cooperation

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