Purpose: Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Municipal solid wastes (MSWs) was generated 430,828.2 ton/y in this area; however, only 24 percent of waste was properly disposed, and 43 percent of waste was properly managed. The purpose of this paper is to explore knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of highland residents in order to provide a basis for the development of waste management in the study area. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Mae Fah Luang district, Thailand, from November 2016 to January 2017. A random sample of 451 respondents constituted the study population. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire. Pearson Correlation and χ² were applied to identify the association among variables. Findings: Overall, 73 percent of respondents had high level of knowledge; 85 percent of respondents showed neutral attitude; and 59 percent of respondents performed moderate practice on MSW management. The results highlighted that age and education levels were statistically significant associated with KAP levels on MSW management at (p=0.05). Originality/value: The respondents who have good knowledge also have a good level of practice; and those who have good attitude also have a good level of practice. Socio-demographic factors and suitable way to promote an effective MSW management should be considered.

Depression is a silent health problem that can lead to severe and sometimes fatal outcomes if individuals are not diagnosed and treated properly; this is particularly true in populations with limited education, low economic status and several barriers to accessing health services, such as the hill tribe people in Thailand. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the prevalence of and factors associated with depression among hill tribe individuals aged 30 years and over. A validated questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used for data collection in an interview format in a private and confidential room. Logistic regression was used to detect the associations of variables with depression at a significance level of α = 0.05. A total of 2,552 participants were recruited for the analysis; 65.9% were females, 79.9% were married, 35.8% were aged 50 years and over, and 54.2% were Buddhist. The majority were uneducated (76.7%), were agriculturalists (48.4%), and had a low family income (71.2%). The overall prevalence of depression was 12.0%. In the multivariate analysis, eight variables were found to be significantly associated with depression among hill tribe adults aged 30 years and over in Thailand. Being female, 50 years or older, married, and Christian; living with a relative; smoking; using opium; and having moderate and high stress levels were associated with depression. Effective public health interventions should be considered to reduce the burden of depression in the hill tribe population by focusing on individuals who are female, 50 years or older, married, Christian, and stressed and those who abuse substances.

Hill tribes are a group of people who live in remote areas in northern Thailand. They typically use untreated water for drinking, that can lead several health problems. The six main hill tribes—Akha, Hmong, Karen, Lahu, Lisu, and Yao—were selected for the study. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Water samples were collected from the selected villages and tested for the quality at Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand. Results: the major sources of drinking water were mountain water supplies (74.3%), and commercial bottled water (21.4%). Easy access, sufficiency for the whole year, and food-drug administration sign labeled were the criteria used for selecting sources of drinking water. Colorless and safety were also used as a selection criteria for their drinking water in some tribes. Lisu, Karen, and Hmong treated their drinking water by boiling, while Akha and Lahu stored the water in certain containers to allow particle settling before drinking water without treatment. 42.0% of the water samples had a turbidity values <5 NTU, and total coliform and fecal coliform bacteria were detected in 100.0% of the samples. To prevent water-borne diseases among the hill tribe people, appropriate water treatments such as boiling, filtration, and disinfection are recommended.

Food contaminants in traditional Lanna cuisine persist as a public health issue since there is no readily apparent method to prevent this contamination. Hence, this study was conducted to develop a practical strategy for reducing food hazards in traditional Lanna cuisine, according to the farm-to-fork framework across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. In the upstream operation, 80 sample analyses in a fresh market using the chemical test-kits were conducted, and 31 samples of produce were collected to analyze them for Paraquat contamination. In the midstream operation, a biological contamination analysis was conducted on 25 of the food handlers. In the downstream operation, which refers to the consumers, this study included a questionnaire to measure the level of agreement for the different factors by using the One Way ANOVA at the 0.05 level of significance. According to the “Laab Nuer Model” for traditional Lanna cuisine, one needs to consider the following at every stage:1) Uncontaminated market produce, including monitoring the raw material in the market, providing the activities linked to appropriate agricultural practices, and supporting the higher price if farmers adhere to good agricultural practices; 2) Good Restaurants including the monitoring of their raw materials, participating in food safety practices, and providing food safety training; 3) Paying Attention to the Consumer including training in food safety in the younger generation and promoting food safety. To significantly decrease the impact of foodborne illness in this and other locations, this model should be implemented widely, for example, in supermarkets and flea markets.

The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a food safety standard accreditation based on a sticky rice in coconut enterprise in Chiang Rai, Thailand. One enterprise was included for the purposive sampling of this study. The methodology consists of the assessment of the details for the production process, and the physical and environmental assessment. To assess the biological contamination, the most probable number or MPN method were used for the cleanliness for the production process, and the water quality. The results illustrated that they are lacking in personal hygiene training, a wastewater treatment system, and one-way entrance and departure. Therefore, to minimize the wastewater pollutants from their process, they should implement the basic treatment, such as a grease tap. Additionally, they should construct the entry and exit as a one-way, reducing the likelihood of cross-contamination. To improve the excellent practices for food safety on their production process, they should also receive training in food sanitation and safety

Food safety management in rural ethnic schools remains underdeveloped in Northern Thailand. This study evaluates such systems in primary schools using the Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) framework, which can serve as a scalable and culturally sensitive tool to strengthen food safety systems in multi-ethnic school environments. Multi-criteria decision analysis was employed across nine schools representing the Hmong, Lisu, Lahu, Akha, Kamoo, Haw, Mien, Karen, and Lau communities. Data collection included (1) PDCA-based rubric scoring validated by three experts; (2) in-depth interviews and field observations; (3) food and water contamination testing; and (4) microbiological analysis of chefs’ hands and utensils (detected or non-detected). The results showed that only 45% of the schools involved had third-party food safety monitoring, and 45% lacked systems to gather student feedback. None could independently assess chlorine or food residue. Escherichia coli contamination was found on chefs’ hands (44%), utensils (56%), and drinking water (33%). Schools C (Lahu) and F (Haw) had the highest and lowest PDCA scores, respectively. Therefore, schools should (1) train employees, (2) work with a third party responsible for monitoring food safety, and (3) establish raw material and contamination self-assessment processes to improve food safety. Implementing PDCA to improve food safety in neglected schools is essential.