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and fair trade (SEThailand, 2024). Its operational framework involves consulting and co-
developing business strategies, defining and measuring social impact goals, and providing
support in areas such as marketing, branding, design, team development, and partnership
building. The organization also facilitates access to stage-appropriate funding, often connecting
social enterprises with impact investors. Additionally, it serves as a network hub, linking social
entrepreneurs with people, organizations, and markets that can help them grow. Several of
ChangeFusion’s supported ventures have achieved notable success, including Local Alike, Buddy
HomeCare, Opendream, and Taejai.com. Looking forward, ChangeFusion’s manager, Sunit
Shrestha, has emphasized the need to develop new financial mechanisms for social enterprises
in Thailand, such as Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), social-purpose debt instruments, and a
dedicated stock exchange for social enterprises.
Taejai.com
Taejai.com is a pioneering crowdfunding platform founded in 2012 as a project under the Rural
Reconstruction Foundation. After five years of operation, it spun off and registered as a social
enterprise under the name Taejai.com Company Limited. Its founding partners include
ChangeFusion, OpenDream, the Khonthai Foundation, and the Thai Young Philanthropist
Network (TYPN), all of which are known for their impactful work in the social enterprise sector.
Ada Chirapaisarnkul, one of the co-founders, observed that many Thais who had studied abroad
and joined the TYPN volunteer network began to have less free time once they entered full-
time employment. At the same time, their incomes increased. This shift inspired them to
explore how charitable giving could be used as a tool to create positive social change. They
believed that targeted, outcome-driven donations would have a more tangible impact than
traditional giving. In addition to operating its crowdfunding platform, Taejai.com also
collaborates with various organizations and networks to promote social innovation and the use
of technology in solving societal problems.
Social Enterprise Thailand Association (sethailand.org)
Established in 2019, the Social Enterprise Thailand Association was formed through the
collaboration of social enterprises across the country. Its vision is to build a strong, supportive,
and interconnected community of social enterprises that can collaboratively address social
issues and drive development in tangible and effective ways. The association works to
strengthen cooperation among its members and with other organizations, both domestic and
international, to help social enterprises succeed in business while advancing solutions to social
and environmental problems. It also promotes public awareness and understanding of social
enterprise in Thailand (SE Thailand, 2024). Following the enactment of the Social Enterprise
Promotion Act B.E. 2562 (2019), the association played an important role in interpreting
government regulations into accessible language and encouraging early registration. One of its
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