News & Update

Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR is a widely accepted business practice across the globe arising from the urgent need to protect the environment and the need to take active involvement in social issues. Rather than just relying on efforts done by few organizations or groups with such advocacies, the corporations are enjoined to make it a part of their business functions.

With all businesses participating in the cause, economic growth and development do not necessarily have to disregard societal expectations about how resources should be managed and how communities should progress. CSR, in recent years has caused manufacturing companies to venture more on product and service innovation that respond to the challenges and opportunities of the rapidly changing economic, social and environmental spheres.

Thailand’s corporate commitment to local communities and philanthropy can be traced in Thai culture. Thailand people are taught the ideal of “doing good deeds for others and making merit” which is an important part of living an ethical Thai life. This ideology lays the foundation for a strong CSR culture in Thailand. There is a growing awareness among Thai companies on the need to ensure the “Made in Thailand” label stands for something more than workmanship quality or advanced technological features. It should offer an assurance to the consumers and stakeholders that environmental and social concerns are integral to the Thai way of doing business.

Some of the companies that actively practice CSR include:

• Siam Cement Group. They are the largest cement manufacturer in Thailand, with an average production capacity of 24 million tons per year. With this huge capacity, tons of cement bags are tossed away every year. As part of the company’s CSR, they promoted recycling of the cement bags, turning them into usable handbags. This effort has reduced environmental wastes by millions of tons every year.
• PTT. They are the largest national oil and gas company in Thailand. PTT commits itself to be “a good corporate citizen to protect the environment and improve the quality of life of the communities”. They come up every year with souvenir gifts for their customers that would have an impact on environment concerns. One souvenir they created was a mobile radio, powered by a small built-in dynamo. A built-in hand winds up the dynamo, and the radio works in an environmentally, friendly way.
• Unilever. The consumer products giant launched the “Unilever Sustainable Living Plan” and under this program, the company distributes consumer products in an environmentally friendly jute bag.

Other companies in Thailand have different CSR-inspired activities.

Canon Marketing (Thailand), for instance had supported Earth Hour by being a partner of the campaign. Canon staff also volunteers, once or twice a year to help develop libraries and school buildings in rural areas; implements forestation program and keep the balance in marine biology, grow mangroves to rehabilitate the swamp forest, release sea turtles through their Sea Turtle Releasing Program, and building clay house for orphans from Bann Nok Kamin Foundation.

Sony Thai, a big electronics manufacturing company in Thailand joins other Thai companies every year in the celebration of Environment Day aimed at creating awareness towards the environment among the employees and the local community.  Environmental activities such as Green Walk Rally enjoined underprivileged children to join the walk rally spreading awareness on the importance of environment conservation, coral planting, and a lot more.

A lot of factors will affect the future of CSR in Thailand including government decisions and initiatives on CSR promotion, influence of international community, and the public’s awareness on issues such as global warming which are slowly being acknowledged in Thailand.

With businesses having corporate social responsibilities, the life of a community is protected which is very important in prolonging a healthy life that would lead to a more prosperous country. Businesses showing social responsibilities are looked up to because running a business is not all about income generation and job creation, it is also about community’s well-being.