Seven business associations are ready to play a key role in leading the businesses community to work together with society on national reform.
"We already proposed the national reform plan to the government to learn more about the plan. We cannot wait for the government's policy but do what we can," Dusit Nontanakorn, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said during a seminar on "Partnership for Thailand Reform".
The TCC has set a two-pronged strategy to help social enterprises be part of the country's reform process.
The macro plan should be divided into micro plans so that they will be easier to work with. The association will focus on helping the agriculture sector lift product prices, which will solve the problem of unequal income distribution.
According to the TCC's reform plan, the association will rely on its network - provincial chambers of commerce nationwide - to help adress the problem.
The provincial chambers agreed to cooperate with the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce in studying and selecting villages that have problems that were not yet resolved.
About half of the TCC's board who have their own business will be responsible for one village.
"They will bring their management skills and experience to help villages which are in the agriculture sector to raise productivity. We project income per rai will have to double to Bt10,000 from Bt5,000," he said.
Voravan Tarapoom, president of the Association of Investment Management Companies, said corruption was an important barrier to business, and also increased the cost of doing business, which weakens society.
"All parties have to join hands to push out selfishness to help reform the country," she said.
Payungsak Chartsutipol, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, said the government is a key player in advancing national reform besides the private sector.
The FTI believes that industry should consider the environment and the health of the community in order to balance business and social interests.
"Corporate social responsibility and green productivity are two things that we have to focus on in order to help reform the country," he said.
The FTI came up with the idea of taking industries into communities to introduce know-how, technology, marketing and labour skills, he said.
Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the beginning of national reform would have to come from business reform.
The council proposed solutions for reforming tourism such as promoting historical tourism in schools nationwide. This will instil a love for the country among young learners and could end the conflicts in the country.
Wattana Opanon-amata, chairman of the CSR Club, said the club, which gathers 27 listed companies to work together on corporate social responsibility projects focusing on the environment, believes the private sector can help communities through education.
Business will survive when society survives, he added.
Krissada Raungarreerat, manager of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation or ThaiHealth, called on the private sector to give more priority to CSR than public relations. Many firms in countries such as England have launched businesses that do only CSR. They proved that such businesses could make a profit as well.
Business that are involved in fighting global warming and promoting sustainable energy are among the CSR businesses in foreign countries, he said.
"We call the CSR business a new species of business. There are a few CSR businesses in Thailand with total value of Bt1 billion. We expect the number of CSR businesses will rise by 20 per cent within five years following the CSR master plan," he said.