What next for social enterprise in Thailand?
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Version 0 of 1. Thailand has created an infrastructure for social enterprises that is seen as a model in south-east Asia. The sector has its own representative body, the Thai Social Enterprise Office (TSEO), enjoys the support of political and business leaders, generates coverage in the mainstream media, and has links with counterparts in the UK and other countries. But what do Thai social entrepreneurs and supporters think? What are the biggest obstacles to their growth? And what are the biggest opportunities? These are the questions we put to some of the 2,000 attendees of Thai Social Enterprise Week (7-14 March), which the British Council co-organised with the TSEO and other partners. Thunyawat Tositrakul of Green Net SE, a social enterprise which sells organic forest coffee One of the biggest obstacles is that it isn’t easy to find a market. Another obstacle is the lack of knowledge of most consumers. So it is important that social enterprises share knowledge with consumers. For instance, we show them how we make coffee and let them taste it. We should let people know what a social enterprise is and why they need to choose its goods over cheaper products. Social enterprises should also collectively educate consumers about their environmental impact and sustainability. Damien Durand of LGT Venture Philanthropy is an impact investor who looks for social enterprises that have a replicable business model and potential to scale-up I think the ecosystem is booming at the moment but social enterprises sometimes struggle to find investment because some of them are very early-stage and some are not very eager to take big risks. Start-ups and very early stage social enterprises can get funding from government agencies, but after that it’s very hard for them to find investors because most tend to focus on larger deals that are less risky. The majority of Thai people work in agriculture so that is an area in which social enterprise can have a lot of impact. Education is another field that we should look at. And Thai people are aging fast. In 20 years, there will be a need for strong labour force to support retirees. I think we should focus on how to develop the skills of very young students right now. Sorrawut Pingkhlasai works at a social enterprise called Klongdinsor that helps people with special needs The Social Enterprise Act that the Thai Social Enterprise Office is working on is good. Most social enterprises cannot succeed in isolation – they need the support of a network. Each social enterprise faces distinct challenges but many struggle to secure funding, and partnering with the private sector can contribute to success. I think social enterprises should address the issues that NGOs and the government can’t solve. Wray Irwin of the University of Northampton helps steer a socially enterprising university I have learned about the richness of the Thai experience and how it can add so much to the international conversation on social enterprise. Thailand is still focused on social enterprises as business models rather than ways of working, and if they can shift the focus, the possibilities they could be so much more. There is a need for Thailand to develop its own story and have its own internal dialogue rather than adopt the UK model which is culturally different. I would argue that social enterprises are especially well equipped to address any social or environmental issues as long as you have passionate individuals and communities who want to effect change and challenge current thinking. Duangta Krasin is a dentist who wants to develop a multimedia dental app to teach people how to brush their teeth effectively I think the biggest obstacle to the growth of social enterprise is lack of public awareness. We can’t grow it alone, so it is important that partners, funders and app developers, for instance, understand what we do. As to what issues social enterprises are well equipped to address, it depends on the background of their founders. I think we should do what we are good at. Judith Reynolds of Plymouth University’s Futures Entrepreneurship Centre I am very happy to have met Social Enterprise Colleagues from Thai higher education institutions. I felt there was definitely a role for international collaboration. I think we need more research and action-based projects to create a better understanding of the barrier issues in Thailand, although I suspect that the economic ecosystem may need to become more sensitive to the particular structural needs of social entrepreneurs. A survey of existing social enterprises in the country could answer this question comprehensively. Dr Mullika Sungsanit is a lecturer at Suranaree University of Technology who promotes social entrepreneurship I have attended Social Enterprise Week from the first day and learned a lot. This may be the beginning of social enterprise in Thailand and there are still many things that we have to change. There should be a community of practitioners that shares learning so that people who want to start a social enterprise can learn from the experience of others. This can happen really quickly because many people are interested in social enterprise and see the needs it can address. Taipida Moodhitaporn, is a project manager at Oxfam who is keen to incorporate a social enterprise approach in her work I think the biggest obstacle is that people don’t have enough knowledge and understanding of social enterprise. We should start by addressing the problems we are facing. If they can be solved by social enterprise, that’s good. And we have to adapt the theory to local realities. We have to try things out, learn from our experiences and be able to adapt. Content on this page is paid for and provided by the British Council, sponsor of the international social enterprise hub |