Page 222 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

key initiatives involves facilitating access to finance for members through a partnership with the
Government Savings Bank. As of 2024, this program has disbursed 20 million baht in loans to
member enterprises. The association also helps connect Thai social enterprises with

international funding sources. Membership is divided into two categories: (1) full members,
which are social enterprises registered as legal entities, and (2) associate members, which
include individuals or organizations interested in supporting the social enterprise sector. Both
individuals and organizations are eligible to apply. Annual membership fees are 5,000 baht for
full members and 3,000 baht for associate members. Members receive free access to a range
of networking and community-building events. The association also produces promotional
materials, such as interview clips and articles, featuring its members (Senate Committee on
Commerce and Industry, 2024).

Yunus Center AIT (YCA)

The Yunus Center AIT (YCA) was established through a collaboration between Professor
Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of Grameen Bank in
Bangladesh, and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). The center’s primary objective is to
promote the concept of social business. Professor Yunus believes that universities are ideal
platforms for advancing the ideas of social business, microfinance, and social inclusion as
solutions to poverty. The first Yunus Center was launched at HEC Paris in France. Today, there
are 111 Yunus Centers located within 111 universities worldwide. In Thailand, five universities

currently host such centers: AIT, Kasetsart University, the National Institute of Development
Administration (NIDA), Payap University, and Chulalongkorn University. To ensure operational
flexibility, especially for projects involving private-sector partners that may not wish to be
constrained by academic grant procedures and university regulations, YCA, though part of AIT
and a member of the Yunus Foundation, also implements initiatives through joint ventures with
Yunus Center Thailand (YT). Supporting companies or organizations can make donations directly
to YT, a legally registered and auditable foundation. These funds are then used to compensate
YCA’s staff, officers, or researchers, thereby streamlining project implementation (see Box 7.1
for further details).

The current operations of Yunus-affiliated organizations in Thailand can be categorized into
three distinct entities, each with its own focus:

• Yunus Center AIT (YCA): Primarily focused on academic initiatives.

• Yunus Thailand (YT): Facilitates collaborative projects between the public and private
sectors and the Yunus Center AIT.

• Yunus Foundation: Officially registered under the Social Enterprise Promotion Act in
November 2024, this foundation functions as a social enterprise dedicated to promoting

Professor Muhammad Yunus’s social business philosophy.

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