Page 329 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

1) Groups with highly fragmented production capacity that are difficult to coordinate. These
groups require the use of digital technology or online platforms to aggregate producers and
develop prototype models that enable home-based work, such as using AI to create video

clips or process large datasets. To succeed, they need financial and technological support
from existing government agencies.

2) Groups in which the producers are persons with disabilities who either lack specific skills or
demonstrate inconsistent capabilities. Although a substantial national fund exists to support
persons with disabilities, it remains underutilized due to limited accessibility. A viable
development strategy would involve gathering data to identify market opportunities
tailored to persons with disabilities and exploring the types of businesses they could
operate among themselves. It would also be important to help individuals in this group
prepare project proposals for their own development or for the benefit of their peer

networks. While funding is already in place, effective management and facilitation by
intermediary organizations, such as social enterprises or mission-driven nonprofits, is
needed to bridge the gap and ensure these resources are used effectively.

11.4 Policy Recommendations

11.4.1 Public Policy

1. Amend the Social Enterprise Promotion Act B.E. 2562 (2019), which has now been in force
for five years and is due for review and revision based on lessons learned from its
implementation. The following amendments are proposed:

▪ Revise the law to ensure that the Office of Social Enterprise Promotion (OSEP) receives
an annual budget allocation of no less than 100 million baht per year for a period of five
years. After this initial period, the budget should be reassessed based on the office’s
performance, operational capacity, and staffing needs.
▪ Improve tax incentive measures by allowing investors to transfer their shares without

being required to return the tax benefits previously received. However, such transfers
should be permitted only if the shares have been held for at least five years and are
transferred exclusively to another registered social enterprise.
▪ Reduce the reporting burden for small social enterprises with annual revenues under 10
million baht by allowing them to use simplified indicators or narrative reporting in place
of conducting a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis for every organization.

2. Clearly define the roles and budget utilization strategies for the newly established fund
under the Office of Social Enterprise Promotion (OSEP), especially given its limited staffing.

In the initial phase, priority should be given to activities with clearly measurable outcomes:

▪ Establish a co-payment system or financial guarantee mechanism to support
procurement involving social enterprises and other organizations, particularly in

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