Mediator and UNHCR Thailand launch fund to make statelessness history

Mediator Co., Ltd. has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Thailand office of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to support stateless individuals in Thailand. With this LoI, Mediator and UNHCR Thailand will work together with private companies to strengthen support for people without a legal identity in the country.

Background

Currently, Thailand is home to nearly 90,000 refugees and more than 500,000 stateless individuals, mainly in mountainous regions. In October 2024, the Thai government decided to introduce a system granting residency rights to approximately 500,000 stateless individuals. Once implemented, this system is expected to enable them to obtain Thai nationality and identity, serving as a global model case.

Initiatives

Following the signing of the LoI, Mediator and UNHCR Thailand will promote the following initiatives:

Establishment of a Fund to Support Stateless People

UNHCR Thailand has launched a fund targeting private companies in Thailand to support stateless individuals. Mediator joins this initiative through support in connecting participating companies with UNHCR. Contributions from participating companies will be used to support stateless individuals in Thailand in gaining access to their fundamental rights, including to quality education, decent employment and healthcare, and with further essential assistance.

Campaign Event

As one of the key initiatives, the campaign event will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday 15 October 2025. The event will provide the latest updates on support for stateless people in Thailand and create networking opportunities, fostering collaboration between private companies and UNHCR Thailand.

Mediator will also leverage its owned media platform, THAIBIZ, to disseminate information about support for stateless people and UNHCR’s work among Japanese companies and stakeholders in Thailand, while working with corporations and organizations to build a sustainable support framework.

Message from Mediator CEO, Kantatorn Wannawasu

“This collaboration with UNHCR Thailand marks an important new step in supporting stateless individuals in Thailand. With around 6,000 Japanese companies operating in the country, I have met many business leaders who aspire to contribute to Thai society beyond the boundaries of business.

We hope this initiative will provide an opportunity for such companies to take part. If stateless individuals can obtain Thai nationality and gain access to education and employment opportunities, they will become a new driving force in Thai society. Such a movement will, in turn, contribute to the sustainable growth of companies operating in Thailand, including Japanese firms.

Through this fund and the upcoming campaign, we look forward to welcoming many companies to join us in making statelessness history.”

About UNHCR Thailand

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a United Nations organization working to protect and assist refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees, and stateless people. UNHCR began operations in Thailand in 1975. As of May 2025, approximately 80,000 Myanmar refugees are receiving protection from the Thai Government in temporary shelters along the Myanmar–Thailand border.
URL: https://www.unhcr.org/th/

About Mediator

Based in Bangkok, Thailand, Mediator strives to serve as the vital link between private sector and public sector, both in Thailand and Japan through business development, research/consulting, project management, and many more. We are also the operator of our B2B matching platform and the business media, THAIBIZ.
URL: https://mediator.co.th/