Islamabad, April 3,2026: Mr. Rongvudhi Virabutr, Ambassador of Thailand to Pakistan joined the drive towards equal society in Pakistan on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day, highlighting early intervention and the need to change the society’s attitude from pity to opportunity creation as the key for autistic children to grow and lead a dignified life.
Participating in the awareness-raising activities at the Early Intervention Therapy Unit (EITU) of Maroof International Hospital in Islamabad, the Ambassador exchanged his view and shared his inspirational messages.
He underscored the importance of “time” as the most critical factor for autistic children, especially at 2-3 years old where brain development matters most; just a year’s delay in detection and diagnosis can completely change a child’s life.
He also reiterated the readiness of Thailand to share experiences and work with organisations in Pakistan to reduce gaps and address this matter together.
Furthermore, the Ambassador touched upon “understanding from family and society” which mothers and parents in Pakistani often experience through pressure and societal stigmatization; this needs to be urgently addressed along with ensuring proper treatment.
He presented a success story from Thailand- the “Steps with Theera” project in which a café was set up to provide vocational training for autistic youths so that they can rely on themselves and live happily in the society while also transforming the society’s attitude that autism is not a ‘limitation’ but ‘beautiful difference.’
On this occasion, he presented certificates to recognise the hardwork and dedication of medical personnel in the EITU .
He pledged that Thailand would be there for autistic children and their families in Pakistan in order to create a better world for every child so that they can grow up to be valuable and important asset of the society in the future.
