Community Water Management Project in accordance with the Royal Initiative of Muang Mae Haad Community, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
ThaiBev, in collaboration with the Hydro-Informatics Institute (HII), launched the “Community Water Management Project in accordance with the Royal Initiative of Muang Mae Haad Community, Chiang Mai Province”. This initiative was designed to address the significant challenges of water scarcity, particularly during the dry season, by improving water access and supporting agricultural productivity in the villages of Ban Mae Hoy, Ban Muang Klang, and Ban Ku Ho.

• Reservoir expansion: the project increased the reservoir’s capacity, benefiting 139 households in Ban Ku Ho.
• Flood and erosion control: small dams with infiltration wells and reinforced embankments were constructed to mitigate flood risks and prevent erosion during heavy rains.
• Irrigation canal rehabilitation: repairs were carried out at nine critical points along the Muang Mae Haad irrigation canal, ensuring water distribution to 2,218 residents in 681 households engaged in agriculture across the three villages.

The primary goals were to expand water storage through reservoir enlargement and infrastructure upgrades, ensuring a reliable water supply for consumption and agriculture. Additionally, the project aimed to rehabilitate irrigation systems, such as the Muang Mae Haad irrigation canal, which had deteriorated and required restoration to enhance water delivery to agricultural areas.

The project has significantly improved water management, resulting in an annual increase in reserved water volume of more than 270,000 cubic meters. The restored irrigation system provides consistent irrigation and enhance crop yields. Furthermore, the improved infrastructure strengthens the community’s resilience to droughts and other seasonal changes, ensuring long-term sustainability and support for local livelihoods. This project will serve as a model for public–private collaboration focused on enhancing long-term water security. F&N Dairy Thailand has installed a water storage tank to provide an efficient supply for communities and dairy farmers in Chaiyaphum Province. It reduces the need for villagers to travel long distances to access reservoirs during seasonal droughts. The 460,000 Baht investment supplies 1,680,000 liters of water every month to up to 180 households. This provides sufficient water for 24 farms with 955 cattle, so minimizing disruption from drought and allowing farmers to continue their operations sustainably.

Rainwater Harvesting System in Vietnam
The rainwater harvesting system at SABECO’s Cu Chi Brewery in Vietnam represents a sustainable initiative to reduce water consumption and operational costs. Using a rooftop area of 20,000 square meters, the system was developed with minimal new investment, as it repurposed old tanks from the NCT Brewery and reused equipment from a water treatment system. The only significant new expense was the installation of a piping system, which cost USD 26,909.

Additional improvements to the system included the reuse of an old sand filtration system, modifications to the controlling pump system, and the installation of new piping to enhance the collection and measurement processes. These upgrades have ensured efficient operation and ongoing water savings.

The primary purpose of the harvested rainwater is to support the brewery’s cooling and cleaning processes. The system is expected to reduce the brewery’s water usage by 4% during the six-month rainy season in FY2024, representing a substantial cost saving of USD 5,811.

This initiative has been expanded to Can Tho Brewery, also including the installation of a piping system, which cost USD 6,292. The system has decreased water withdrawal by approximately 1,500 cubic meters, resulting in an annual cost saving of around USD 703.

Improving Water Efficiency in Sugar Transforming Process
Since 2022, F&NHB in Malaysia in collaboration with local manufacturers has replaced the usage of cube sugar with liquid sugar by implementing a filtration resin method, thus effectively transforming the sugar into liquid form. By removing the need to dissolve cube sugar, this method significantly reduces the large quantities of water that were formerly used, achieving water savings of 32,030 cubic meters per year. Other benefits include electricity savings of 275,956 kWh per year and a reduction of 238 tonnes of CO2e emissions per year.

Optimizing Water Usage in Plastic Crate Washing Machines
The Food Product Group in Thailand optimized the use of soft water in their basket washing machines by adjusting both the direction of water injection and the water pressure. This improvement significantly contributed to a reduction in the group’s water consumption, which fell from approximately 15,000 to 4,000 cubic meters, resulting in annual cost savings of around 250,000 Baht.

Clean Water for Communities
In 2024, ThaiBev continued its commitment to ensuring that local communities, especially children, and the agricultural sector receive clean water. The Spirits Product Group initiated a CSR activity “Sharing Water with the Community” in Thailand, in which the production facilities in Kanchanaburi, Prachin Buri, and Surat Thani Provinces helped provide clean water to neighboring communities.

ThaiBev has also expanded the “Clean Drinking Water” project in schools and communities around our production facilities in Thailand. Our representatives provide basic training on the maintenance and cleaning of the water filtration system so that school students will always have clean, hygienic drinking water that meets quality standards. We have successfully completed 41 WASH projects in 11 provinces: Pathum Thani, Chonburi, Buriram, Prachin Buri, Ratchaburi, Uttaradit, Surat Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Ubon Ratchathani, Ayutthaya and Nakhon Sawan.

These projects have benefited a total of 13,500 people. Our target is to add five additional WASH projects annually.

Furthermore, ThaiBev has initiated a program to provide water filtration systems to 15 schools in Central Vietnam, specifically in the provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and Quang Ngai—regions that are frequently affected by natural disasters. The total estimated investment for these systems is approximately USD 13,200.

Solar Energy Irrigation for Local Farmers
Our subsidiary in Myanmar, Grand Royal Group (GRG), is dedicated to supporting local farmers in spring paddy cultivation and rice production in the model village of San Phel. Located in the eastern region of Bago, this village serves as the primary source of raw materials for GRG’s products. The farmers in this region face water scarcity, particularly during the summer season, as they struggle to afford the costs of accessing irrigation facilities.

This solar-energy project aims to give access to a daily supply of 1,500 cubic meters of irrigation for over 129 rai (21 hectares) of paddy fields. As a result, the project has yielded 4,030 baskets of paddy – equivalent to 84,065 kilograms – thereby increasing the income of ten landowners to a total of USD 30,750. Furthermore, the project has enabled farmers to cultivate three rice crops annually during the summer, rainy, and winter seasons, with an impressive 50% reduction in costs compared to diesel generator- powered alternatives.

Following on from the “Solar Energy Irrigation for Local Farmers” pilot project, in 2023 GRG installed a solar energy reverse osmosis water system and treatment plant that can purify up to 3,000 liters daily at San Hpe Model Village. When the seasonal paddy cultivated by the solar energy irrigation system is inactive, there is a surplus of solar energy, which can be used to significantly enhance the villagers’ well-being. This installation benefits San Hpe with an ample supply of clean drinking water for the entire village, while the daily surplus of 1,200 liters can be sold to neighboring villages at a price lower than their current expenditure on drinking water; the revenue generated from the surplus contributes to the general expenses of the village. GRG is also committed to carrying out the necessary annual maintenance and repairs of the plant.

River Basin Committee
Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) has organized a collaborative effort called the “River Basin Committee” representing the 22 watersheds across Thailand, which brings together the agricultural, industrial, and commercial sectors to develop better management of the country’s water resources. This significant initiative encourages the different sectors to work together in solving water-related problems such as floods and droughts. ThaiBev’s representatives were elected onto the industrial committees for the Tha Chin River Basin and Ping River Basin, focusing on improving water management, rehabilitating ecosystems in watersheds, and enhancing quality of life for communities near water sources. This participation includes efforts to alleviate problems related to f loods, droughts, and water quality. In addition, the company hopes that increased participation in national water policies will further embed efficient and sustainable water management practices in the country for a healthier environment and society.

Distributing Soil Conditioner to Local Farmers
ThaiBev distributes distillery slop, effluent from the biogas production process in spirits production facilities in Thailand, as a soil conditioner to local farmers, because it contains essential nutrients for plant growth, particularly for sugarcane. Research has found that distillery slop increases sugarcane yields without causing negative environmental impacts. It can reduce farmers’ outgoings on chemical fertilizers and result in an increased yield of approximately 10,000–15,000 Baht per rai.

In 2024, ThaiBev distributed distillery slop to farmers from 13 distillery facilities across Thailand, totaling more than 1,580,000 cubic meters and covering over 22,000 rai (3,520 hectares) of sugarcane fields, rice paddy fields, corn fields, and other plant farms.