On December 14, 2022, Walailak University, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sarawoot Palipoch, Acting Vice President, Asst. Prof. Dr. Amonsak Sawusdee, Director of the Center for Academic Service, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rungrawee Jitpakdee, Director of Walailak Botanic Park (Head of Project, Khanabnak sub-district area), Mr. Pavit Tansakul, lecturer at the School of Management, Mr. Suthin Khonglaor, Chief Executive of the SAO of Khanabnak Sub-district, Mr. Panyapong Songphayom, Head of Extending Result Department, Center for Administration and Coordination of Pak Phanang River Basin Development under Royal Initiative, Mr. Savettachat Boonming, Director of Water Source Management Office of Conservation Area 5, and the working group of the Center for Academic Service, Walailak University, visited the comprehensive ecological learning center of nipa palm, Ban Bang Ta Lum Pho, Khanabnak Sub-district, Pak Phanang District to warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Sanit Aksornkoae, chairman of the NESDC, and subcommittees from the NESDC and MHESI to discuss and report on the progress of U2T of MHESI under the Emergency Decree that authorizes the Ministry of Finance to borrow money in case of a project to upgrade products from nipa palm and buffalo milk which is operated by Walailak University.

           Walailak University by the Academic Service Center, 15 Schools, and more than 100 faculty members were supported by the MHESI to carry out the Integrated Subdistrict Economic and Social Upgrading: 1 Tambon 1 University (University to Tambon—Building the Taproot for the Country: U2T) in 36 sub-districts and the Project to Propel Economy and Society After COVID with BCG Economy (U2T for BCG) in 85 sub-districts, covering 4 provinces: Krabi, Chumphon, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat to integrate and support development, promotion and pushing community BCG products and services into the market, totaling 171 products/services. Furthermore, the university participated in data analysis and promotion of the utilization of Thailand Community Big Data (TCD) in more than 40,000 areas. Moreover, there is an integrated network of cooperation with 269 government and private agencies to drive academic work to serve society and various activities in the area. The 2 phases of project had more than 1,400 local participants. Also, Walailak University is continuing to develop distribution channels for community enterprise prototype products both onsite and online.

          Overview of the project, Walailak University had operated in 2 phases. Phase 1 in the fiscal year 2021 had 36 sub-districts, 13 districts, 4 provinces. There were 20 employers per sub-district with a total of 720 positions for a period of 11 months, including an employment budget of 95,040,000 baht. The second phase of the project in the fiscal year 2022 had 37 sub-districts from phase 1 and 48 new sub-districts, totaling 85 sub-districts, 16 districts, 4 provinces. The sub-districts from phase 1 had 8 participants, and the new sub-districts had 10 participants, totaling 776 positions. There is an employment period of 3 months, and the total employment budget is 27,936,000 baht.