Page 83 - Social Enterprise A New Business Paradigm for Thailand

has been estimated at approximately 18 to 19 billion baht annually since 2021. For 2023, the
estimated 2% amount is approximately 18.3 billion baht.

The second part is the estimated household donation amount, as previously discussed. When
both sources are combined, Thailand is projected to have over 20 billion baht annually that could
be channeled toward social enterprises or the Social Enterprise Promotion Fund. In 2023, the
combined total was approximately 24.3 billion baht, as shown in Table 2.6. However, interviews
with sector experts revealed that most private companies fall significantly short of the 2% limit in
CSR tax deductions. Moreover, large companies often prefer to carry out their own CSR initiatives
rather than donating to or contracting social enterprises to undertake such work (further details
in Chapter 9).
Due to inconsistencies between recipient-side donation data and donor-reported figures, the

actual total amount cannot be conclusively determined. Nonetheless, to gauge the scale of the
social economy, one can refer to the annual donation revenue reported by nonprofit private
organizations, which exceeds 100 billion baht, though this figure fluctuates with economic
conditions. Meanwhile, household-level civic engagement, measured through donations and
charitable giving, is estimated at approximately 6 billion baht per year. Additionally, reciprocal
giving (e.g., funeral, ordination, and wedding contributions) accounts for around 60 billion baht
annually. Publicly listed companies also present a further opportunity to contribute an estimated

20 billion baht annually to socially oriented initiatives.

2.7 Conclusion

In summary, the pathway from civic-mindedness to social enterprise can be likened to two
converging streams. The first stream originates from individual charitable giving, which
historically took the form of traditional philanthropy. Over time, however, the purpose of giving
has evolved, from offering social welfare support to addressing root causes and generating

positive social impact. This shift has moved giving from a private, individual act to collective,
public-oriented campaigns and, ultimately, to structured forms of public fundraising.
The second stream stems from corporate social responsibility (CSR), which emerged in response
to pressure from social activists and academics demanding accountability from large companies
for their social and environmental impacts. In addition, the global climate crisis and growing
oversight by international governance bodies have expanded CSR’s scope, transforming it into a
broader framework of social and environmental responsibility.
These two streams, one from the civic sector and the other from corporate engagement, are of
unequal size. The private sector stream tends to be much larger, but the convergence of these

streams has given rise to a new river: social enterprise. In the United States, this evolution has
been characterized by private-sector donations helping to build capital markets for social
enterprises. In contrast, the European Union model has emphasized state support for private-

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