The Practice of corporate social responsibility and environmental protection in Thailand

Abstract

To examine the current practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by the Thai business sector regarding environmental protection and sustainable resource management. It particularly looked at the limitations and constraints faced by the private sector, and the role of the state and civil society concerning to adoption of CSR practice in Thailand. The information used in the study was collected through documentary research and interview with key informants: three Thai businesses with an established reputation for CSR practice, an environmental NGO, and a governmental organization responsible for promoting CSR in Thailand. The findings revealed that there was a mutual and advanced understanding of the concept and practices of CSR among all participants. With regards to interaction between different sectors, the study showed that the respondents viewed that the CSR movement in Thailand corresponds with a trend towards more participatory policy-making and stakeholder involvement in the area of environmental standard. With regards to limitations, the study revealed discrepancies between large and small organizations, as well as variations across sectors. This is due to the lack of rational or cultural institutional environment to support or encourage CSR practice, resulting in disadvantage for small-scale enterprises engaging in beyond-compliance environmental protection. The different capacities between large and small organizations were reflected in their different approaches to CSR practice. While large business organizations adopted a ‘reformist’ approach, the smaller business took a ‘radical’ approach to CSR practice. However, the radical approach to CSR, which is based on local resource and capacity, is likely to be the most appropriate method for a developing country such as Thailand. Finally, this study recommended that the public, private, and civil society sectors should cooperate to establish measures, particularly the necessary regulatory framework and verification mechanisms, in order to support fair and transparent CSR practice in environmental protection and sustainable resource management by all Thai businesses.