Page 332 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

▪ Developing simple applications or adapting existing social media platforms to enable
health monitoring for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, pregnant
women, and homebound or bedridden seniors. These apps could include features such

as scheduled exercise routines set to music.
▪ Implementing waste management initiatives in schools and communities.
▪ Conducting water quality testing and providing safe drinking water services in schools
and communities.
▪ Promoting safe vegetable projects and similar initiatives.
2) Explore the feasibility of, and develop, social enterprise models that support the
procurement of goods and services for local hospitals, particularly those that enable
participation by community members and older adults. Examples include:
▪ Producing staff uniforms and patient clothing.
▪ Preparing local foods that are suitable for hospital patients. For example, in northern

Thailand, dishes such as chili pastes and spicy salads are often made with finely chopped
vegetables that are easy to chew and well-suited to the taste preferences of older adults
in the region. Once viable menu items are identified, relevant social enterprises may be
commissioned to implement them. These initiatives could involve collaboration with

village health volunteers (อสม.) as core partners in identifying and mobilizing local social
enterprise opportunities.

3) Commission suitable organizations to review and analyze existing health-related research
conducted by Thai universities to identify studies that could yield commercially or socially
viable outcomes for further development.

4) Leverage the Thai Health Academy or other mission-driven organizations to:

▪ Train persons with disabilities to prepare grant proposals for the national disability fund,
which is substantial in size but remains underutilized.
▪ Conduct market research to assess unmet or underserved needs among persons with
disabilities in order to identify viable business models. These could be executed by
mainstream social enterprises or by disability-led ventures.

5) Promote the Road Accident Assistance Fund in collaboration with automobile
manufacturers, insurance companies, and the Department of Land Transport. The goal is to

foster social entrepreneurs and mission-driven organizations that focus on accident
prevention, especially for youth. Potential initiatives include:

▪ Providing traffic safety education in schools or supporting social enterprises that
operate driving schools with expanded roles in public education for youth and
general road users.
▪ Enabling communities to take part in identifying local accident risk zones.
▪ Involving students in mapping danger zones within and around school premises,
potentially as part of project-based initiatives mentioned earlier.
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