Abstract
In the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were stressful due to the impact on social, economic and health situation from the pandemic. As a result, the number of people with mental health problems and the burden of mental health problems has been increasing. Recognizing the importance of mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand proposed a mental health preparedness and response for the COVID-19 pandemic as the agenda of the 148th session of the World Health Organization Executive Board and played a leading role in developing a decision on this issue with supports by many countries. Thailand’s movement on mental health was the result of close collaboration between different organizations, continuous investment on capacity building of potential global health personnel and a strong network with countries and the WHO. Therefore, what Thailand has gained from driving mental health issue on the global platform is building a positive role and image of Thailand, incorporating Thailand’s interest into a decision and adapting lessons from other countries on mental health into Thai context.
