Today is National Children's Day. Like every National Children's Day for the past several decades, several governmental agencies will organise a variety of entertainment activities for children, mostly in urban areas, such as games and exhibitions. The armed forces are expected to roll out obsolete tanks and other weaponry to show to our children.
This year, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is scheduled to conduct a guided tour of his office at Government House for children and allow them to sit in his chair, on top of other activities being held there. Similarly, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has already opened his office at City Hall, letting children sit in his chair.
Jan 14 is the day our children are showered with gifts and souvenirs. The private sector joins in the pampering of children, and parents are expected to boost sales figures.
All of these activities are a far cry from anything that will inspire creativity or innovation among our children. In particular, the exhibition by the military is simply out of place.
The exhibition is a testament to the complete lack of creativity and sensitivity by army officials, as tanks and other weaponry are killing machines in nature, not toys for children.
There is another side to this story. Millions of children, especially those living in rural areas, lack the means to have access to these activities.
Even in Bangkok's slums, many poor children simply cannot afford to travel to Government House or other venues for the celebration as their parents likely struggle on a daily basis to make ends meet.
For the impoverished children whose families earn less than 3,000 baht per month, enjoying the Children Day's celebrations or receiving gifts at Government House may prove to be a distant dream.
The contrasting difference between these two groups of children -- the rich and poor -- reflects income disparity and social inequality in Thai society.
On one hand, there are smiling children enjoying the event. On the other, there are children who cannot even afford breakfast before going to school, relying on free school meals to fill their stomachs.
Despite Gen Prayut's slogan of "no one left behind", Children's Day should remind the government that there are millions of impoverished children that are left behind.
In reality, many children, especially those from poor families, have been neglected.
The Ministry of Education estimates that 1.3 million students have left school since 2020 after parents were laid off or forced to relocate for a job during the pandemic.
Despite the Education Ministry's efforts to bring them back, many are believed to have left school for good.
There are also tens of thousands of stateless children who are denied the most basic rights, such as access to education and health care.
Children's Day this year will be pointless. All the inspirational slogans crafted for the occasion will be meaningless if millions of children are still left behind and denied their basic rights.
As children will undoubtedly carry the torch for the country in the future, their wellness and well-being must be prioritised.
Hopefully, next year's Children's Day will be more creative and enjoyable for more impoverished children too.
