Bangkok to allow child centers to accept infants from 3 months

Khaosod•Society•21h ago

Reader Briefing

Bangkok is drafting new regulations to allow child development centers to accept children starting from 3 months of age.

•Sanon Wangsangboon chaired a public hearing on the draft Bangkok Metropolitan Administration regulation regarding child development centers on July 20, 2026.
•The proposed regulation aims to lower the entry age for child development centers from 2-6 years to 3 months.
•Bangkok currently has 239,413 early childhood children aged 0-6 years.

Overview

•On July 20, 2026, Sanon Wangsangboon chaired a knowledge exchange activity at the Din Daeng District Office.
•Sanon Wangsangboon stated that many children aged 0-3 years lack quality care because parents must work and there are insufficient facilities.
•The draft regulation proposes allowing child development centers to accept children from 3 months old instead of the previous 2-6 years range.
•Bangkok plans to adjust caregiver-to-child ratios and introduce flexible service hours to support parents working outside official hours.
•Bangkok has 258 child development centers, but only 39 can use Bangkok budget for building renovations due to land use rights restrictions.
•Bangkok is coordinating with land owners including temples, the Treasury Department, the National Housing Authority, and the private sector to develop centers.
•The draft regulation focuses on three main areas: expanding access, upgrading care quality, and supporting parents.
•The hearing included 120 childcare teachers, with 20 teachers from each district group attending.

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Key Quotes

Sanon Wangsangboon

"Bangkok is ready to listen to all suggestions from childcare teachers to improve the draft regulation for maximum benefit and jointly create a quality early childhood care system."

กทม.พร้อมรับฟังทุกข้อเสนอแนะจากครูผู้ดูแลเด็ก เพื่อนำไปปรับปรุงร่างระเบียบให้เกิดประโยชน์สูงสุด และร่วมกันสร้างระบบการดูแลเด็กปฐมวัยที่มีคุณภาพ

Key Entities

Person

Sanon Wangsangboon(ศานนท์ หวังสร้างบุญ)

Deputy Governor of Bangkok who presided over the hearing on the draft child development center regulations.

Teerawee Weerawan(ธีรวีร์ วีรวรรณ)

Deputy Director of the Social Development Department.

Organization

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration(กทม.)ℹ️

The local government authority managing child development centers in Bangkok.

Social Development Department(สำนักพัฒนาสังคม)

The department responsible for preparing the draft regulation on child development centers.

Treasury Department(กรมธนารักษ์)

One of the land-owning agencies Bangkok is coordinating with for center development.

National Housing Authority(การเคหะแห่งชาติ)

One of the land-owning agencies Bangkok is coordinating with for center development.

Place

Din Daeng District Office(สำนักงานเขตดินแดง)

The venue where the knowledge exchange activity took place on July 20, 2026.

Policy

Draft Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Regulation on Child Development Centers B.E. ...(ร่างระเบียบกรุงเทพมหานคร ว่าด้วยศูนย์พัฒนาเด็กก่อนวัยเรียน พ.ศ. …)

A proposed regulation to expand access and upgrade quality for early childhood care.

Law

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Ordinance on Child Development Centers 2026(ข้อบัญญัติกรุงเทพมหานคร เรื่อง ศูนย์พัฒนาเด็กก่อนวัยเรียน พ.ศ. 2569)

The ordinance under which the draft regulation was prepared.