Individuals with disabilities are a group of people in the country who have different needs from the rest of the general public. This means that they are persons with a physical, mental or emotional impairment. To date, there are about 680,000 individuals with disabilities, or 1.08 percent of the total number of the people in Thailand. The Department of Public Works passed Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2548, taking effect on September 1st, 2005, stipulating accessibility in buildings for disabled persons and old people. The regulation requires that hospitals, government agencies, and state enterprise buildings with over 300 square meter service areas for the general public and office buildings, theaters, hotels, and department stores with over 2,000 square meter service areas shall be accessible for persons with disabilities.