Page 165 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

Thailand’s decision not to fully adopt the Grameen Bank model stems primarily from differences
in social and cultural context. Thai society is more urbanized and features a more developed

financial system, conditions that differ significantly from those in Bangladesh, for which the
Grameen model was originally designed. A second key factor lies in differences in economic
structure and government policy. Thailand has attained a higher level of economic development
and has long supported traditional cooperative systems through public policy (Woraluk Himakulas,
2025). Additionally, the Grameen model presents certain limitations, particularly its dependence
on external funding and its vulnerability to credit risk. These issues warrant careful consideration,
especially in Thailand, where cooperatives emphasize self-reliance and prudent risk management.
That said, Thailand has adapted aspects of the Grameen approach through various initiatives,
such as the People's Bank Project and the Village Fund, demonstrating an effort to tailor the

model to fit the national context.

5.2 Social Business Operating in Developing Countries

5.2.1 Makesense (France)
Founded by Christian Vonizette in 2010, Makesense is a social enterprise that created an open
platform for individuals to collaborate in supporting and scaling social businesses. Anyone with
an idea or interest in launching a social venture can use the platform to describe the challenges

they face, such as identifying suitable markets for their products or determining the most
effective distribution strategy (AVPN, n.d.). 104 . The organization is backed by a global network of
around 25,000 volunteers with business expertise (European Microfinance Network, n.d.) 105 , and
its contributors are known as “Sensemakers.” Aspiring social entrepreneurs can post their
problems directly to the Makesense website. A Sensemaker will then reach out to schedule a one-
hour interview to ensure mutual understanding and help refine the entrepreneur’s initial idea.
Those seeking support are required to present their concepts in a workshop, provide feedback
afterward, and indicate whether they were satisfied with the guidance received or need further
assistance (Makesense, n.d.) 106 . To date, Makesense has supported over 8,000 social
entrepreneurship projects across seven countries and has built a community of more than 10,000

members from businesses and organizations engaged in social change.

104 From Makesense, by AVPN, n.d., retrieved on February 14, 2025, (https://avpn.asia/organisation/makesense/)
105 From Makesense, by European Microfinance Network, n.d., retrieved on February 14, 2025,
(https://www.european-microfinance.org/sites/default/files/document/file/Community-
based%20solutions%20for%20social%20entrepreneurs'%20challenges.pdf)
106 From Makesense, by Makesense, n.d., retrieved on February 14, 2025, (https://makesense.org/en/)
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