On June 5, 2026, Dr. Lertluck Leelaruangsang, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), attended the “Thailand EF Partnership – TEFP 2026” conference at the TK Palace & Convention Hotel in Bangkok. Presided over by Pol. Col. Itthikorn Chiratnanon, Secretary to the Minister of Justice, the high-level meeting was co-organized by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), the Rakluke Learning Group Institute, and various civil networks. The forum served to review successful approaches to promoting Executive Functions (EF), the essential cognitive processes that govern life skills and behavior, in early childhood over the past twelve years, while charting a collaborative development course for the upcoming decade.
A primary milestone of the conference was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among nine core government and institutional bodies, including the BMA, the ONCB, Office of the Basic Education Commission, the Rakluke Learning Group Institute, and the ministries of Education, Interior, Public Health, Social Development and Human Security, and Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. This strategic alliance aims to deploy EF knowledge to build robust psychological immunity against drug abuse among children, youth, and families nationwide. Additionally, over 30 private sector and civil society organizations signed a declaration of intent to support these critical child development initiatives.
The event also featured panel discussions led by prominent academics and public health experts who explored how EF skills serve as a lifeline for youth advancement. Presenters shared diverse lessons learned from implementing EF training across both urban and rural early childhood development centers, schools, and community hubs. Attendees participated in breakout brainstorming sessions to formulate knowledge-based child development strategies for the next ten years, which concluded with a visionary lecture by Prof. Dr. Vicharn Panich on accelerating Thai human capital development.
