Corporate chiefs show "Power of Thai"

Under the “Bring Smiles Back to School” slogan, last weekend they successfully rehabilitated 84 schools as promised, a few months after the alliance was formed in November.
            And now, some members are considering another mission, to show what profitable Thai companies can do for society.
            “We’re proud that the project has been successfully carried out,” said Chartsiri Sophonpanich, president of Bangkok Bank which last year amassed a record net profit of Bt27.3 billion. “Yes, we can move forward with a new collaboration project,” he said, recalling how he immediately said yes to Thai Beverage president and CEO Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi’s proposal to form the alliance.
            An executive of Mitr Phol Group, a leading sugar company, revealed that some plans are in the pipeline, including improvement of school libraries.
            Advanced Info Service CEO Wichien Mektrakarn wants to do even more. He would like to inject financial assistance into communities, to create successful social enterprises that can stay on their own feet for the sake of their community.
            “Certainly, this is not what all companies can do. This requires funding. And only profitable companies can allocate the needed funds,” he said. The country’s largest mobile operator posted a net profit of Bt22.22 billion.
AIS has embarked on several CSR projects on its own and education is one of the areas of focus. Instead of working on school rehabilitation on its own, the company opted to join 11 other companies to rehabilitate 84 schools.
            Initiated by Thai Bev, “Power of Thai” created an alliance with 11 other companies – Bangkok Bank, GMM Grammy, Central Group, True Corp, Thai Union Frozen Products, BTS Group Holdings, Mitr Phol Group, Major Cineplex Group, Muang Thai Life Assurance, Advanced Info Service, and ICC International. Besides Bt1 million seed money, each was committed to launch their products with partial proceeds going to the project. Other funds came from sales of T-shirts and wristbands. According to Chartsiri and Wichien, the companies also made advance payments for the projects while proceeds from their products are streaming in.
            Each company was tasked to select target schools, and then volunteer staff from all 12 companies visited each of the 84 schools which are all in severely flooded provinces, mostly in the Central region. From the first in Lop Buri, Samakki Withaya School in Nonthaburi was the last.
            Kittisak Niyomrat, director of Samakki Withaya, was elated with the repainting as well as the donation for educational materials. Like others in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi province, the school was submerged in water for two months, two metres high at the peak. The science room and library were entirely damaged and this year, both would be moved upstairs to prevent another disaster. As the school’s second semester opened in December, a mosque nearby was turned into a temporary classroom. Not surprisingly, students in the junior high-school level did not pass the basic knowledge test.
            The director was glad that aside from clearing the space, including moving flood debris to the back, the school did not have to pay a single baht for the reconstruction. It was unlike in December, when Por Tek Tung volunteers were here. School teachers then had to donate money to finance the materials that cost Bt30,000, which is 10 per cent of the school’s budget in the second semester for about 330 students.
            If the floods brought any benefit, it is the “Aor Bor Tor’s agreement to finance the tapwater pipeline extension (costing more than Bt1 million), as the underground water well was damaged”.
            Like others, this school – which was used as a flood shelter – needs much more, including the construction of second-floor toilets. It is for Thai companies to decide if they to want to have this contribution on their agenda. 

Rehabilitated schools

Province    No of schools
Ayutthaya                                                    21
Nonthaburi                                                  14
Lop Buri                                                      11
Nakhon Pathom                                           11
Sing Buri                                                       8
Pathum Thani                                                6
Suphan Buri                                                  4
Chai Nat                                                        4
Nakhon Sawan                                              2
Phitsanulok                                                   1
Uthai Thani                                                   1
Angthong                                                      1
Source: Power of Thai

            For more information on the alliance, see Facebook/powerofthai or www.powerofthai.com.