# Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention · โครงการสอนว่ายน้ำเพื่อเอาชีวิตรอด

Survival swimming and water safety instruction for primary school children in Chiang Mai City and Phrao District, Northern Thailand. Organized by Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC) with the Chiang Mai Municipality, Bronco Kids Sport Club, Kru Payu Swim, and Warm Heart Foundation.

URL: https://motdang.net/sites/cwsdpp/
Thai: https://motdang.net/sites/cwsdpp/th/

## The Problem

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children between the ages of 1 and 14 in Thailand. Over 1,000 children lose their lives to drowning across the country every year. Only 20% to 25% of Thai children possess basic swimming ability, and among underprivileged, rural, and migrant families in Northern Thailand, the proportion who can float or swim is lower still.

## The 15-Hour Curriculum

CWSDPP teaches a 15-hour survival curriculum spread over ten 90-minute sessions. It focuses on survival and rescue rather than competitive swim strokes:
1. Water familiarity and breath control.
2. Independent back float (starfish float) to keep airways clear for rescue.
3. Turning from face-down to face-up in deep water.
4. Treading water and 25-meter survival dog-paddle or breaststroke.
5. Entering and exiting water safely without stairs or ladders.
6. Safe rescue from the bank: reach or throw, never go in without floatation.
7. Putting on and swimming in an approved life jacket.

## Scale and Outcomes

- Operating continuously since 2015 (10th consecutive year).
- Approximately 750 fourth-grade students trained annually.
- Chiang Mai City: Every 4th-grade student across all 11 municipal schools and Wat Suan Dok School receives the course. Training takes place at Bronco Kids Sport Club pools (indoor and outdoor facilities) under Head Coach Kru Payu (Nattasak Thawudom).
- Phrao District: 4th-grade students from 19 rural and hill-tribe elementary schools receive instruction at Phrao Municipal Pool / Chok Aree Pool, supported locally by Warm Heart Foundation and Kru Payu-certified local instructors.
- Pass rate: 88% overall, with 95% pass rate among students completing all ten sessions.
- Recognition: Every graduate receives a graduation certificate and a custom gold medal (฿30 per medal, 400 minted annually for the municipal cohort).

## Financial Model and Transparency

- Cost per child: ฿500 ($15 USD) covers pool entry, certified coaching, transportation, safety gear, and graduation medal.
- ฿1,500 ($45 USD): Sponsors 3 children.
- ฿5,000 ($150 USD): Sponsors 10 children.
- ฿15,000 ($450 USD): Sponsors a complete municipal classroom of 30 children.

## Payment and Donation Routes

- US Tax-Deductible Gifts (501(c)(3)):
   - Through fiscal sponsor Warm Heart Worldwide Inc. (EIN 26-2059241).
   - Memo line: "CMIRC - CWSDPP Swim Program". Donors receive an immediate IRS charitable contribution receipt.

## Key Vocabulary

- ว่ายน้ำเพื่อเอาชีวิตรอด (wai nam phuea ao chiwit rot): survival swimming
- การป้องกันเด็กจมน้ำ (kan pongkan dek jom nam): child drowning prevention
- ลอยตัวแบบหงาย (loi tua baep ngai): back float / starfish float
- เสื้อชูชีพ (suea chu chip): life jacket
- สโมสรโรตารีสากลเชียงใหม่ (samoson rotari sakon chiang mai): Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC)
- เทศบาลนครเชียงใหม่ (thetsaban nakhon chiang mai): Chiang Mai Municipality
- ครูพายุ (kru payu): Coach Nattasak Thawudom, head instructor
- อำเภอพร้าว (amphoe phrao): Phrao District
- มูลนิธิวอร์มฮาร์ท (munnithi warm heart): Warm Heart Foundation

## Primary Sources and Documentation

- CMIRC CWSDPP Year-End Reports (2025–2026), Rotary Club Seattle Foundation reporting file.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU 2026–2027) between Chiang Mai Municipality, CMIRC, Bronco Kids Sport Club, and Kru Payu Swim, signed by Mayor Assanee Buranupakorn.
- Municipal School attendance and testing registries: Wat Gu Kam, Wat Pa Phaeng, Wat Tasadoi, and Wat Suan Dok.
- Ministry of Public Health, Department of Disease Control, Bureau of Non-Communicable Diseases (Child Drowning Surveillance Reports).