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1.INTRODUCTION
Social enterprise has a long history in Thailand. Co-operatives that fit within social enterprise criteria have operated in Thailand for more than a century. Early entrepreneur-led social enterprises in this country date back to the 1970s. Some of them were royal projects focused on generating employment for ethnic minorities in remote mountainous areas which lacked access to public services. These projects, such as Doi Kham and Doi Tung, soon developed more commercial business models to ensure their operations' financial sustainability. Other well-known social enterprises that emerged in this period were businesses initiated by the Population and Community Development Association, including Cabbages & Condoms restaurants and Birds & Bees hotels. In the late 1990s, more social enterprises were established in conjunction with renowned enterprises, including the Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, Green Net Co-operative, and Dairy Home.
The most recent wave of social enterprises includes those established from 2010 onwards, when the government started to introduce a social enterprise promotion policy. These social enterprises have been acknowledged by the Thai Social Enterprise Office (TSEO) through its publications and media, and later certified by the National Board on Social Enterprise Promotion when the TSEO was closed. The current certifying body for social enterprises is the Office of Social Enterprise Promotion (OSEP).
As social enterprises take a range of forms and not all of them register as such, the exact number of social enterprises operating in Thailand is unknown. A report from the National Social Enterprise Office in 2014 established an estimate of 116,298, with 1,915 of them operating in Bangkok and 114,383 operating in other provinces.1 The Asia Foundation made a similar estimate in 2015, at more than 120,000 social enterprises.2
This study on the state of social enterprises in Thailand is aimed at understanding the current status of social enterprises across the country, and helping support and nurture social enterprises into the future. This study looks into the impacts of social enterprises on the Thai economy and society, as well as their adaptation strategy during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the period March-August 2020. The findings and analysis have been developed into a set of evidence-driven policy recommendations for relevant agencies and stakeholders in the social enterprise ecosystem in Thailand.
2.LAWS AND POLICIES