Page 203 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

6.5 Summary and Discussion
Public organizations engaged in social business come in various forms, including non-profit

organizations such as associations and foundations; organizations established for the mutual
benefit of their members, such as cooperatives and community enterprises; and for-profit entities,
such as partnerships and companies. Public organizations with legal entity status that operate
businesses involving the production, distribution of goods, or services, with social objectives as
their primary goal, are eligible to register as social enterprises under the Social Enterprise
Promotion Act, B.E. 2562 (2019). Registration enables them to access additional support and
benefits provided under this Act and related legislation.

As of September 15, 2024, statistics show that 310 social enterprises were registered with the

Office of Social Enterprise Promotion (OSEP), alongside 138 social business groups that had
notified the Office. Of the registered social enterprises, 234 (75.5%) were non-profit-distributing,
while 76 (24.5%) were profit-distributing 170 . Table 6.11 presents the number and types of

enterprises classified by their social objectives.

Table 6.11 Number and Types of Enterprises Classified by Social Objectives
Non-Profit-
Social Objective Profit-Distributing Total
Distributing
Addressing and Developing Society 51 183 234
and Communities
Addressing and Improving the 15 21 36
Environment

Creating Employment Opportunities 10 30 40

Total 76 234 310

Source: Office of Social Enterprise Promotion, 2024.

The majority of social enterprises registered with the Office of Social Enterprise Promotion (OSEP),

over 85%, are limited companies, including the Pracharath Rak Samakkee companies established
in various provinces. The rest consist of registered partnerships, foundations, associations, and
one cooperative, Green Net Cooperative Ltd. These registered enterprises range from small to
large and span a wide variety of activities, including promoting organic rice cultivation and organic
agricultural products; creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, special-
needs groups, and incarcerated individuals; manufacturing assistive devices for persons with
disabilities and the elderly; developing local economies and supporting livelihoods; promoting

170 Office of Social Enterprise Promotion, Social Enterprise Registration and Social Business Group Statistics. Source:
https://www.osep.or.th/, retrieved on September 15, 2024, and from data searched in March 2025, it was found that
the number of social enterprises registered with the OSEP had increased to 345.
170