19 Jun 2025
Thailand has approximately 268,000–300,000 incarcerated individuals, with 35 out of every 100 returning to prison. Despite their best intentions to reintegrate, many face deep social stigma—where a criminal record often leads to unemployment and limited opportunities for a decent life. Tang Ton Dee Restart Academy, a project under the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), addresses this challenge by offering on-the-job training to help individuals build skills, regain confidence, and reenter society as productive contributors.
At Sasin Research Seminar, Associate Professor Krittinee Nuttavuthisit, who teaches Consumption and Marketing, shared how the Restart Academy initiative demonstrates the power of social enterprises as a model for both business and social transformation in Thailand. She emphasized that profit and purpose don’t have to be at odds—the true challenge lies in learning how to integrate them. Restart Academy, she noted, is a compelling example of how businesses and society can collaborate meaningfully to create shared value.
Operating on the first floor of Sasin’s canteen, formerly incarcerated individuals serve and cook food for staff and students under the guidance of Tang Ton Dee Restart Academy.
“We welcome everyone, regardless of their crimes, so they can find a fresh start in the academy, which is both a workplace and a school,” said Thanachai Sundaravej, Senior Manager, Social Partnership and Public Engagement at Restart Academy. At Restart Academy, they are developing both their mental and physical skills so they can reintegrate as good citizens. He added, “The success of our endeavors lies in giving them a sense of self-worth. Like the name of our academy, Restart represents starting a new life.” Although there were initial challenges in turning a profit, he confirmed that the Tang Ton Dee canteen at Sasin is now generating a positive return.
According to UNESCAP, social enterprises like Restart Academy are businesses that exist specifically to make money while also creating a positive social impact. They can be either for-profit or not-for-profit. Despite their growing importance, social enterprises often struggle with slow emergence and expansion.
Using Restart Academy as a case study, Dr. Krittinee engaged MBA and Executive MBA students at Sasin in developing a promotional and communication plan, both online and offline. They created coupons, which students sold as a promotion to entice more people to visit the canteen. EMBA students also developed strategies to expand the Restart Academy business model.
“As a student, I look for something more meaningful beyond just business thinking. When Dr. Krittinee introduced me to Tang Ton Dee, I was so excited, as I had been searching for something meaningful in my life,” said Ketinart Sumrit (EMBA 2024), one of the students involved with the project. “I believe Restart Academy is a true social enterprise that delivers strong business results while making a meaningful impact on society.”
Dr. Krittinee referred to the research by Khaosaard, et al. (2025), Public Policy Studies Institute Foundation which suggested that, as of 2023, Thailand’s social enterprise sector remains underdeveloped, with only 321 social enterprises increased over seven years—far behind countries such as France, the UK, and Italy. Despite a total of 245 social enterprises generating 5,927 million baht in revenue, profit margins are thin at just 3.89%, reflecting the financial fragility typical of mission-driven models. The sector is also highly concentrated, with the top 10 social enterprises accounting for 77% of total revenue and 80% of total profit. Meanwhile, nearly half of all social enterprises operate at a loss. These figures highlight systemic challenges like limited funding, policy barriers, and uneven business scalability.
“In Thailand, vision alone is not enough—you need social capital to convince people to engage and support your mission and business schools can play an important role,” said Dr. Krittinee. To ensure long-term sustainability, Thailand’s social enterprise ecosystem will require stronger policy support, investment in capacity-building, and greater knowledge-sharing across the sector to reduce over-reliance on a few high performers and encourage more inclusive growth.
At Sasin Research Seminar, Associate Professor Krittinee Nuttavuthisit, who teaches Consumption and Marketing, shared how the Restart Academy initiative demonstrates the power of social enterprises as a model for both business and social transformation in Thailand. She emphasized that profit and purpose don’t have to be at odds—the true challenge lies in learning how to integrate them. Restart Academy, she noted, is a compelling example of how businesses and society can collaborate meaningfully to create shared value.
Operating on the first floor of Sasin’s canteen, formerly incarcerated individuals serve and cook food for staff and students under the guidance of Tang Ton Dee Restart Academy.
“We welcome everyone, regardless of their crimes, so they can find a fresh start in the academy, which is both a workplace and a school,” said Thanachai Sundaravej, Senior Manager, Social Partnership and Public Engagement at Restart Academy. At Restart Academy, they are developing both their mental and physical skills so they can reintegrate as good citizens. He added, “The success of our endeavors lies in giving them a sense of self-worth. Like the name of our academy, Restart represents starting a new life.” Although there were initial challenges in turning a profit, he confirmed that the Tang Ton Dee canteen at Sasin is now generating a positive return.
According to UNESCAP, social enterprises like Restart Academy are businesses that exist specifically to make money while also creating a positive social impact. They can be either for-profit or not-for-profit. Despite their growing importance, social enterprises often struggle with slow emergence and expansion.
Using Restart Academy as a case study, Dr. Krittinee engaged MBA and Executive MBA students at Sasin in developing a promotional and communication plan, both online and offline. They created coupons, which students sold as a promotion to entice more people to visit the canteen. EMBA students also developed strategies to expand the Restart Academy business model.
“As a student, I look for something more meaningful beyond just business thinking. When Dr. Krittinee introduced me to Tang Ton Dee, I was so excited, as I had been searching for something meaningful in my life,” said Ketinart Sumrit (EMBA 2024), one of the students involved with the project. “I believe Restart Academy is a true social enterprise that delivers strong business results while making a meaningful impact on society.”
Dr. Krittinee referred to the research by Khaosaard, et al. (2025), Public Policy Studies Institute Foundation which suggested that, as of 2023, Thailand’s social enterprise sector remains underdeveloped, with only 321 social enterprises increased over seven years—far behind countries such as France, the UK, and Italy. Despite a total of 245 social enterprises generating 5,927 million baht in revenue, profit margins are thin at just 3.89%, reflecting the financial fragility typical of mission-driven models. The sector is also highly concentrated, with the top 10 social enterprises accounting for 77% of total revenue and 80% of total profit. Meanwhile, nearly half of all social enterprises operate at a loss. These figures highlight systemic challenges like limited funding, policy barriers, and uneven business scalability.
“In Thailand, vision alone is not enough—you need social capital to convince people to engage and support your mission and business schools can play an important role,” said Dr. Krittinee. To ensure long-term sustainability, Thailand’s social enterprise ecosystem will require stronger policy support, investment in capacity-building, and greater knowledge-sharing across the sector to reduce over-reliance on a few high performers and encourage more inclusive growth.