- Communities are important stakeholders for ThaiBev. ThaiBev has been continuously committed to creating security and sustainability for communities and society so that they may grow together with our business, and ThaiBev has been placing importance on developing communities and society for over 15 years.
- We have operated community development projects in many respects, with the principal goal that communities should become more self-sufficient, and then can act as a model of development for other communities.
- Youth groups are set up to encourage learning, link and extend the results to the rest of the community. Developing the community economy through the model Ethical Career Community model to reduce expenses and increase income, without negative impact on themselves, others or the environment.
- Managing natural resources to revive forests and water sources through the process of community engagement by visiting areas and inviting community members to jointly develop society.
INSIGHT
Tantip Sirinupong
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How are social activities designed so that they can create sustainability for the community?
ThaiBev believes that step-by-step business growth is not enough. Growth is only successful when the company shares value with society. For this reason, the President and CEO, Mr. Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, suggested establishing the department of “Community Development Programs”, which is the important starting point of sustainable development. Under the project name “A Good Community with Smile”, the idea is to strengthen communities and create a local model, which offers strong mutual support between the local community and the business. The goal is to help people alleviate their expenses and increase their income, without any negative impacts on themselves, others or the environment.
How do you create participatory working formats between ThaiBev and communities?
By building strength within the communities and improving the quality of life in every aspects, leading to economic security for the community, together with building good relations between the company and the communities, by cooperating with communities in thinking and developing knowledge together. Meanwhile, all parties are encouraged to participate to work together sustainably. This leads to stronger local connections and better understanding of the company, which in turn leads to reduction or prevention of conflict between the community and the company in the future.
Results expected from Community Development Programs
We believe that building strength in this form will lead to concrete results for the community in economic, social and environmental terms, resulting in increased income for its members, the formation of groups as community enterprises, water management systems for community agriculture and green space from reviving the forest. When there is a healthy economy, the community itself can share the value of growth by extending their knowledge and methods to nearby communities. This spreads sustainability at the local level and leads to genuine development of economic systems at the national level.
STORY | ThaiBev Unites to Fight the Cold Year 19 |
Giving assistance and supporting government operations to help people affected by cold weather, ThaiBev Unites to Fight the Cold Year 19 continues to bring 200,000 green blankets each year to areas affected by the cold in 15 provinces of North and Northeast Thailand. These blankets are also a symbol of warmth every year. A large number of people living in remote areas of Thailand still lack sufficient warm clothing or blankets, particularly those people living on high mountains off remote roads that are difficult to access. ThaiBev joined with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of the Interior Ministry to compile data on populations affected by the cold and the numbers affected in every province. Then blankets are transported to the area for distribution to the people every November before the cold actually arrives. Over the past 19 years, 3.8 million blankets have been offered to cold victims in 45 provinces, 578 districts.
Apart from blankets, other types of assistance are offered, through cooperation from partners in many sectors. This assistance includes health checkups from mobile medical teams, music, sport and art programs for the local children and the donation of educational equipment and scholarships to schools which are in need.
Thongchai Khunaprom
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We are extremely happy that ThaiBev held this program of offering blankets to local people in this community. I am impressed that ThaiBev sees the importance of the people in this community. I’d like to thank ThaiBev who are a part of giving to our community, and I’d like to see this kind of good program on future occasions. Thanks also to ThaiBev for giving educational equipment to the children. The kids thank you very much.
Sports:
Together with the Chang Mobile Football Unit, trainers are brought in to provide knowledge and training in basic skills, same as in a professional training set up. Public figures from many organizations rotate in joining these activities, such as the Volleyball Association of Thailand or famous football clubs in every province. Besides giving instruction in basic sports techniques, the sessions also teach kids about sportsmanship – useful skills that they can apply to their daily lives.
Music:
With the cooperation of the Sukree Charoensuk Foundation, musical experts train children who are interested in the basic techniques of singing and playing musical instruments, or who wish to enhance their skills in bands and orchestras. They are taught according to international standards with the emphasis on songs used in everyday life such as the National Anthem. Besides this, youngsters that demonstrate musical talent are provided advice on how they might further develop their skills in the future.
Art:
This activity teaches the creation of practical art through the use of leftover objects thereby encouraging creative thinking, and inspiring new creations that might even lead to income for the students and the community.
For over 7 years, “A Good Community with Smiles” has helped hone skills and provide creative inspiration for children in communities surrounding 21 of ThaiBev’s factories; covering 61 provinces of Thailand.
Nick, Saksit Sinsorn
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I already love art, so the teacher encouraged me to join this activity. It wasn’t really difficult. I gained knowledge, new friends, and concentration. I like silk cocoons which are a natural product in the community. We don’t have to invest much and we can make nice key rings to hang off our bags, which can even make income for me and my friends.
Through the dedication of the community and the support of the business sector and allied organizations, a solution was found. It is based on the concept of “managing headwater streams in an area of integrated agriculture, to extend and expand on 1 rai of organic agriculture, with a target of reviving the Nan watershed”. This was the starting point for completely changing the way of life of the community.
However, another challenging problem was how to bring water up to the growing area which was located on a high mountain. ThaiBev joined with the community to develop a “hydraulic ram” system at a high altitude and to build check dams in three places to store water for agriculture. Alongside this, the community made rules regulating the use of the water and also the water fund. The fund was allocated for repairs in the case of damage, so the community would not be reliant on the government’s budget. Besides this, they also jointly developed a water supply on the mountain that was 9,622 metres long, with a total usable area of 1,000 rai.
In solving the problem of water management for highland agriculture, the achievements can be listed as follows:
- Hydraulic ram system: 11 points, benefitting 11 rai of land
- Check dam system: 8 dams, benefitting 24 rai of land
- Water supply system: length of 9,622 metres servicing 1,000 rai of land
- Members benefitting: 35 people, with volume of water of 15 tanks (1,178.1 liters/tank), equal to a total of 17,671.5 liters (17.67 cubic meters)
- 34 growers on 36 plots in an area of 146.1 rai in Bua Yai sub-district converted to organic agriculture under a system of participatory certification
- A group of organic growers was set up in Bua Yai with 163 members covering an area of 815 rai; they were encouraged to grow three new crops and get the benefit from four overall crops, thus replacing their dependence on monoculture. These crops could also be planted daily, monthly or yearly. They were encouraged to grow organic pumpkin (during the transition period) of indigenous strains Khang Khok and Khai Nao; these were grown by 50 farmers.
- Increased income for the community by increasing distribution channels for organic produce in modern trade stores, such as organic pumpkin (during the transition period), with a total income of 300,000 Baht in 2018.
Somboon Khamrom
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Before we made the hydraulic ram, I used to make a siphon, but failed. After we received knowledge and support from ThaiBev and learned how to bring the water up high, we tried making a hydraulic ram, and it worked really well. Now we can pump water up and store it in tanks and feed water to anywhere on the plot. Another 5 households use the water together.
Results
- Area of mangroves increased by 50 rai of land
- An additional 40,000 trees which are of benefit to the coastal eco-system and the conservation of over 70 species of marine life
- Increased income for the communities of Bangkhunthien derived from the planting and caring for the trees for 3 years
In 2017, 150 residents from the two target communities received training and were supplied with raw materials for rearing livestock and crops for daily consumption, in order to reduce household expenses. The idea was that livestock not needed for villagers’ consumption could yield high-quality products that could be sold by farmers. In 2018, follow-up studies found that these two communities saw their incomes increase by 150-220 percent by raising livestock.
Prapoch Sabhavasu
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Local communities in the target areas live in reserved forests, where there has been massive encroachment for many generations. In its present state, the area is a bald mountain-top. Once the government took firm control, the villagers had no way to make a living. ThaiBev’s urgent obligation is how to make the community self-reliant for food and protein and to survive sustainably. I took the community on a field trip to see the Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in Doi Saket, Chiang Mai. They had the opportunity to tour the Centre and decided on what interested them, and what they were good at. Some wanted to raise pigs, catfish, frogs, egg-laying chickens or Bhutanese phoenix mushrooms. We were ready to support the project with supplies and fund it for a five-year period. Many community members have received further support as model growers. Soon we may have a learning centre for studying the Sufficiency Economy in this area. We are proud to give communities the opportunity to learn royally-approved methods of sustainable development, and to help them increase their income while reducing household expenses.
Khreuawan Chairien (left in the photo)
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I’ve known about this project since 2015, and I am happy that anything we want to eat is there to eat, and they will provide anything that we want to raise. From the beginning, the ThaiBev team took us to the Huai Hong Khrai Centre in Doi Saket, Chiang Mai. We learned the correct ways to raise pigs, fish and egg-laying chickens. I started raising pigs the way that they had taught. Now I can breed my own pigs and get at least ten from every litter, so I can sell them for a good price. I no longer plant corn and use chemicals.
More than 100 disabled people and their caregivers received training from the program. They obtained healthy livestock and supplies for household consumption and for the market. By raising egg-laying hens, the disabled villagers managed to generate an average monthly income of 2,178 baht. Hydroponic crops and mushroom cultivation generated an average monthly income of 1,830 baht.
- One Tambon One Good Occupation Project was emphasised and expanded to create model projects around the factories and other areas, with the aim of increasing communities’ income by at least 10 percent by 2019
- Good Community with Smiles Project
- To protect the natural resources and environment, the area of the project was expanded to new areas and extended to include water management and provide more green space for the community in at least two additional locations.
- To boost the involvement of young people, the number of children and youngsters included in occupational training and life skills programs will increase by 10% in 2019.
- A project with Huai Hong Khrai Center to expand royally-inspired knowledge spread out to the six Royal Development Study Centres to assist selected villagers in Petchaburi, Chachoengsao, Chantaburi, Sakon Nakhon, Chiang Mai, and Narathiwat.
15 Projects
to Develop Communities
Generated average income of 11,356 baht household/year |
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14 products processed and value-added |
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Total land under
organic agriculture 1,447 rai |
Natural Resources Management
Increased green area by 613 rai |
Planted land trees 27,133 |
Planted mangrove trees 40,000 |
Grass plot of 250 rai |
Artificial salt lick 50 |
35 households Generated average income of benefited from agricultural water projects |
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58 check dams |
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hydraulic rams benefit 11 areas |
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Mountain water supply 9,622 m in length, water volumes of 10,800 liters/day |
Youth Participation
6,314 students developed various skills |
66 participating schools |
Relief from the Cold and Other Assistance
Donated 200,000 blankets / year More than 3,000 people in 11 provinces in the North /Northeast received blankets and were offered medical checkups from mobile medical units |
Blankets given to victims of cold in 15 provinces Educational equipment and computers donated to 15 schools More than 20 partners from various government bodies jointly share ThaiBev Unites to Fight the Cold program |