Page 312 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

In 2020, OR, the company behind the Café Amazon brand, expanded the initiative to include
other disadvantaged groups, with a particular focus on older adults. As Thailand moves toward
becoming an aging society, this demographic often faces limited employment opportunities due

to age-related constraints. To address this, OR partnered with the Department of Social
Development and Welfare to open the first Café Amazon for Chance branch operated by senior
baristas on January 15, 2020. Later that year, on August 17, OR launched another branch staffed
by veterans with disabilities and their family members, located at the Royal Thai Marine Corps
Headquarters on Toei Ngam Beach in Chonburi Province.

Since then, Café Amazon for Chance has continued to grow, establishing new branches both in
Thailand and abroad, including one in Cambodia on Preah Sihanouk Boulevard in Phnom Penh.
In addition to expanding its physical footprint, the initiative has introduced operational
improvements to better support individuals with hearing impairments in becoming professional

baristas. These enhancements include adapting work processes and ordering systems, and
integrating new technologies such as hybrid automatic grinders and dual-screen interfaces in
stores. 193 .

As a result of its continued expansion over the past seven years, Café Amazon for Chance had
grown to 311 branches nationwide by 2024. Since its launch in 2018, the initiative has provided
employment to a total of 279 individuals from vulnerable and marginalized groups. These
include: (1) 248 older adults, (2) 22 individuals with hearing impairments, (3) 4 people with
physical disabilities, (4) 3 veterans and their family members, (5) 1 person with an intellectual

disability (on the autism spectrum), and (6) 1 individual from Thanyaporn Home 194 ,
representing those affected by abuse, physical disability, or a lack of opportunity during youth.

San Palung Social Enterprise Co., Ltd.’s implementation of the Café Amazon for Chance initiative
is regarded as both a success and a flagship project for the company. A model branch is located
at The Offices @ Central World in Bangkok. One of the key indicators of the program’s impact
is the steady increase in employment for disadvantaged groups, which reached 279 individuals
by 2024. This progress has been bolstered by the strength of OR’s Café Amazon business, which
operates more than 4,000 branches across Thailand.

OR has played a central role in scaling up the initiative by expanding the number of Café Amazon

for Chance locations. Over the past seven years, the project has grown from just seven pilot
branches to 311, with a particular emphasis on hiring older adults. Although employing seniors

Lane, Samut Prakan, (4) Laem Chabang Hospital, Chonburi, (5) Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission,
Bangkok, (6) Ao Naval Base, Toei Ngam Beach, Chonburi, and (7) The Offices @ Central World, Bangkok.
193 Thai Post. (n.d.). [Title not specified]. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.thaipost.net/hi-
light/188157/
194 Sarn Palung Social Enterprise Co., Ltd. (n.d.). Project overview. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from
https://sarnpalung.pttgrp.com/web/project/1
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