Page 75 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

Box 2.3: Taejai.com

Taejai was founded 12 years ago, based on the idea of one of its co-founders, Ada Chirapaisankul, who
observed that Thai people typically donate money to three main types of causes: (1) disasters, such
as floods, earthquakes, or epidemics; (2) royal development projects and foundations under royal
patronage, which are perceived as trustworthy institutions; and (3) religious institutions, which
receive large amounts of donations. However, younger generations in Thailand have begun to
question traditional patterns of giving. Rather than viewing donations as investments for the next life,
young people are increasingly embracing the idea that donations are resources that can be used to
transform society, and that improving life in this world is possible for everyone.

Taejai owns a mobile application and online platform that allows individuals who wish to contribute
to society to browse and select projects of interest for donation. Some donations may be eligible for
tax deductions, depending on the nature of the project. The core concept behind Taejai is to build an
ecosystem that enables citizens to become active participants by creating tools that redirect donation
resources. This means developing an online marketplace where meaningful ideas and worthy projects
that typically lack funding access can reach individual citizens, particularly those who no longer view
donations as merit-making for a future life, but rather as a means to create a better society in this
one.

Because Taejai supports a wide range of causes, from education and homelessness to elderly care, it
has been designed to meet the needs of both sides: social sector organizations or individuals working
in the field, and the donors themselves. Taejai does this by (1) implementing a project screening
mechanism. Each project is vetted for credibility: Is the organization trustworthy? How will the funds
be used? Is the problem real? This due diligence helps donors, regardless of the donation amount,
make informed decisions; (2) establishing transparency mechanisms for managing donations and
overseeing each project’s financial administration; and (3) ensuring accountability by deploying a
team to track the progress of supported projects. Once donations are approved and distributed, the
team monitors whether the outcomes are as anticipated, and if not, why, so the results can be
reported back to donors. Donations to Taejai are processed through the Rural Development
Foundation, which allows donors to receive tax deduction benefits as well.

Source: Based on interviews.

In recent years, new models have emerged for maintaining and restoring shared natural resources,
particularly through Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), a system in which ecosystem

beneficiaries voluntarily pay to rehabilitate and preserve the very ecosystems they rely on. A
notable example is Tipco’s initiative, launched in 2015, which supports local communities in
protecting upstream forest areas that supply the mineral water used in the company’s bottled
products.

Nonetheless, most organizations in Thailand continue to focus on short-term objectives rather
than investing in initiatives that create long-term, sustainable impact for beneficiaries. Meanwhile,
several foundations have begun evolving into social enterprises. These include Doi Kham, which
sells processed foods made from raw materials sourced from royal development projects; Lemon

Farm, which markets organic products from community producers; and Trash Hero, a volunteer

42