Page 36 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

At present, only a few hundred social enterprises are registered in Thailand. This is far fewer than
the thousands or even hundreds of thousands found in other countries. Most large, profitable

Thai companies still focus more on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives rather than on
building dedicated social businesses. Moreover, there remains a lack of academic research into
the success factors and constraints facing social business in Thailand. In order to establish clearer
pathways for growth, it is crucial to study the current landscape, achievements, and future
opportunities in the sector.

This study is guided by the following research questions:

1. What are the origins of success factors for social business internationally?
2. What is the current status of social business in Thailand?
3. What are the motivations, challenges, and obstacles for social business in Thailand?

4. What institutional and policy factors facilitate successful social business policies?
5. What gaps need to be filled to drive the expansion of social business in Thailand?

In this study, the term “social business” refers broadly to any organization that engages in socially
driven activities, whether it is a company, partnership, foundation, association, or cooperative. In
contrast, the term “social enterprise” is used more narrowly to refer specifically to organizations
formally registered under the Social Enterprise Promotion Act B.E. 2562.

1.2 Objectives

1. To review the existing literature on social business with a particular focus on successful
international models, in order to extract key lessons on success factors and to identify the
ecosystems, contextual conditions, and public policies that effectively support the
development of social enterprises.
2. To examine successful cases of social business in Thailand and assess strategies for promoting
their growth, including conducting an in-depth case study of a supply chain within a selected
industry.

3. To investigate mechanisms that can increase the number of social businesses in various forms
with an emphasis on fostering sustainable growth through both top-down systems (e.g.,
cooperatives) and bottom-up initiatives.
4. To monitor, promote, and build the capacity of 3 social business projects selected and
supported by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT).
5. To design a research program and develop policy recommendations aimed at building a
supportive ecosystem for agencies involved in the development and promotion of social

business.

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