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Mrs. Tuenjai Deetes

Commissioner
(resigned: 31th July 2019)
Education

- 1974 Bachelor of Political Science (Sociology and Anthropology), Silver Medal, Chulalongkorn University
- 2000 Honorary Doctorate Degree in a Branch of Sociology - Anthropology, Ramkhamhaeng University
- 2014 Honorary Doctorate Degree in Branch of Ethnic minorities in the Greater Mekong Sub region Chiang Rai Rajabhat University
- 2016 Honorary Doctorate Degree in Branch of Folklore, Philosophy and Religion, Faculty of Humanities Naresuan University
- 2017 Honorary Doctorate Degree in Branch of Rural Education and Development, Thammasat University

Biography
                          Tuenjai Deetes (maiden name as: Kunchorn Na Ayutthaya) or “Kru Daeng” or “Teacher Daeng” was born on April 8th, 1952. She is the daughter of Lieutenant-General Khab Kunchorn Na Aythutthaya and Mrs. Urai Premsathien. She graduated from the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. By that time, during 1971-1974, she had joined the volunteer camp to study about hill tribe villages in the north of Thailand.
                          After her graduating, during 1974-1976, Tuenjai continued to study with incubation of her trusts and practices in the Graduate Volunteer Certificate Program, Thammasat University, Thailand. She started to be  a "Hill Teacher" at Pangsa Village around Chan River Basin in Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province where was a village of ethnic groups with cultural pluralism, covering Lisu, Lahu, Chinese, Yunan,  Akha and Myan. That was inspired her to become a connector between hill tribes villager and Thai people to have better understanding of each other – while sometimes she was telling other that she was a diplomat of hill area.
                          Later, in 1977-1984, she collaborated with the Ministry of Education to develop comprehensive education curricula for adults in hill tribes and the education program for the highland communities. She then gradually and deeply realized the problems and root causes of stateless people whom were increasing in the northern hill tribe communities.
                          In 1985, she co-founded the Hill Area and Community Development Foundation (HADF). She was working on the promotion, capacity-building and strengthening of communities in Thai-Burmese Border Area by encouraging education, agricultural machinery and permanent forest plantation for the celebrations on the Auspicious of His Majesty the King Rama IX.
                          Then she jointly established the NGO Coordinating Center for Thai Hill tribe development for cooperation between hill tribe leaders, National Security Agency and Department of Provincial Administration, which it then adopted the Master Plan for Community Development, Environment and Substance Abuse Problem, during 1992-1996.
                          In 2010, Tuenjai was elected as a Senator, representing Chiang Rai province to work with Thai Mountain Community Network, Academicians, Mass Medias, Societies and Government officers to solve the stateless problem including stateless children especially on the border areas.
                          Next, she became a Member of National Legislative  Assembly, proposed the Act on Civil Registration (Vol. 2) , B.E. 2008, Nationality (Act Vol. 4 in 2008) also (Vol. 5 in 2012). Which it made people whom suffering from various social status problems include thousands of hundreds of Thai diaspora to be able accessing to right to Thai citizenship.
                          As the Executive Director of the HADF, she had initiated work to solve problems about "Elder Stateless people" since 2012, a group of marginalized groups who still have no access to the development of legal status. This is a marginalized groups who still have no access to legal status.
                          In 2015 – present, she is a Member of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT), to solve the problem of the Stateless people continuously.
                          Tuenjai had spent life decades in the mountain and formed her family with Mr. Thanuchai Deetes who is her senior from the Graduate Volunteer Certificate Program, Thammasat University, Thailand. He worked as the public welfare officer in the field of Hill Tribe Development and Relief Center in Ban Pangsa, Chiang Rai province and is currently retired as a government official at level 9th in Ministry of Labor. They both have 2 children include daughter and son. First is Miss Pianporn Deetes (currently work in an international organization) and second is Mr. Baworn Deetes (currently work as a commercial pilot).

Experience

- Secretary of the Hill Area Education Project, Non Formal Education Department
- Senator of Chiangrai Province (2000-2006) and the Senate Committee on Environment, Senate Committee on Child, Women, Senior Citizens Affairs, Senate Committee on People Participation, Senate Committee on Social Development and Human Security
- Member of the National Legislative Assembly (2006-2008) andThe Chair of Adhoc Committee on the Study of Problems and Develop Guidelines for Resolution of the Legal Status and the Rights of individuals in Thailand
- Sub Commission on the Rights and Legal Status of the Stateless, Displaced Thai, Non Immigrants, Refugees, Displaced Persons and Ethnic Peoples
- Committee to endorse the Displaced Thai in accordance to the Citizenship Act        (5th Revised Version B.E. 2555, the year 2012)
- Founding Member and the Secretary of the Hill Area and Community Development Foundation (HADF)
- Advisor to the Hill Area and Community Development Foundation
- Senior Expert in the Board of the Trust Fund, Thai Health Promotion Foundation
- Selection Committee, Green Globe Award

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