5 Thai Philanthropists That Are Changing The World

Vikrom Kromadit

WHY HIM? This self-made billionaire leaves the running of his Amata Corporation to staff while he spends most of his time writing books that share his tips for business and on leading a simple Buddhist lifestyle. In 1996, he established the Amata Foundation, which supports educational, cultural and environmental initiatives. It also bestows the annual Amata Art Award and Amata Writer Award, which come with US$144,000 and US$33,000 respectively. THAT’S NOT ALL In 2013, Kromadit packed up his life and led a 40,000km caravan through China, Myanmar, Russia and Kazakhstan to “strengthen international relations.”

Dhanin Chearavanont

WHY HIM? Forbes says Chearavanont is Thailand’s richest man and his philanthropic giving is correspondingly huge. In the aftermath of the 2013 Sichuan earthquake, he donated RMB20m (about US$2.9m) to aid the communities affected. In 2017, his CP Group gave around PHP10m (about US$190,000) to local community development programmes in the Philippines. Closer to home, he donated THB200m (about US$6m) for the construction of the Bhumisiri Mangkhalanusorn Building at Chulalongkorn Hospital and recently gave THB10m to help mitigate the effects of severe flooding in the south of Thailand. 

Harald Link

WHY HIM? The Link family has been at the forefront or philanthropy in Thailand for generations, leading the way by both donating money and establishing organisations. Harald, the current head of the family’s B Grimm Group, is continuing the family’s philanthropic tradition through his extensive monetary and managerial support of the Princess Mother’s Charities Fund Foundation, which was co-founded by his late uncle Herbert. THAT’S NOT ALL He also makes substantial financial contributions to the arts in Thailand and is a patron of the Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music, and of the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Foundation.

William Heinecke

WHY HIM? The American-born, Thailand-based businessman has built his hotel business, Minor International, into a global conglomerate over the past 30 years. Along the way, he’s also become a global leader in elephant conservation with his Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, which was one of the leaders in the fight for Thailand to ban the trade in ivory, which it did in 2017. THAT’S NOT ALL Heinecke founded the Heinecke Foundation, which provides scholarships to underprivileged children around Thailand and was involved in disaster relief after the 2004 tsunami.

Charoen and Wanna Sirivadhanabhakdi

WHY THEM? The Sirivadhanabhakdis’ TCC Group touches almost every area of life in Thailand—it has invested in everything from drinks company ThaiBev to real estate—so it’s fitting that their philanthropy is also nationwide. With the Sirivadhanabhakdi Foundation, the tycoon and his wife provide medical supplies to hospitals around Thailand and have also funded cultural initiatives, such as the restoration of Buddhist murals in Bangkok. THAT’S NOT ALL The Sirivadhanabhakdis are also behind the ThaiBev Unites to Fight the Cold campaign, which provides blankets to communities in rural areas and has been running for nearly 20 years.

See also: 5 Indonesian Philantropist That Are Changing The World