There is no required training or education for Thai agricultural workers in the
choice of, or appropriate and safe use of, pesticides for their crops. Among the
more than 860 agricultural workers in Nakornsawan province surveyed by members
of the Thailand Pesticide Action Network (ThaiPAN), 80 percent got their
information about how to choose and use pesticides from pesticide companies or
their representatives.51 During interviews, these agricultural workers reported
that the pesticide companies directly advertised their products to them, took
agricultural workers who used their products abroad for sight-seeing, and provided
food and parties for pesticide customers.51 When interviewed as part of a
study by ThaiPAN members, rice farmers in Yasothon province reported that
they selected the type of pesticide to use based on recommendations from neighbors
(32 percent), pesticide shops (27 percent), pesticide applicators hired to
spray pesticides for them (23 percent), and advertisements (7 percent).52 In a
peer-reviewed study, 38 percent of agricultural workers reported that they got
their information on pesticide use from commercial media/public broadcast
(including television, radio, newspaper, leaflets, pamphlets, and billboards).33
In Supanburi, 48 percent of the rice and sugar cane farmers interviewed by
ThaiPAN members reported believing that mixing a variety of pesticides
would increase the efficiency of plant protection, as would using a higher concentration
of pesticide than that specified on the label. They also believed that
they should use pesticides once a week, even if no plant disease was present.13