Siam Piwat leads the charge in co-creating shared value for sustainability through its latest CSR project “Citizen of Love by Siam Piwat”

- For over six decades, Siam Piwat Group is committed to conducting its business practices that bring benefits to society at large and playing an important role in elevating the quality of life for all Thais.

- Siam Piwat drives the strategies of “co-creating shared value for sustainability”, which has continuously been incorporated into its business practices to fosters sustainability in three major aspects: 1) people, 2) communities and society, and 3) the environment.

- The CSR project “Citizen of Love” sets out to share love, opportunities, equality and happiness to all people.

“Our goal is to be a company that benefits people, communities, society as a whole, and the country – a company that creates value far and wide on a large scale through initiatives that go beyond the occasional CSR activity as well as to be the company that incorporates the creation of shared value for sustainability into our business practices”

- Mrs. Chadatip Chutrakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Group

Bangkok (19 November 2019) – Following the announcement of its leadership in Creative Economy early this year, Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., the owner and operator of prestigious world-renowned retail developments such as Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery and a joint venture partner of ICONSIAM, has declared the vision that has been woven in its business practices for over six decades. The vision is to bring benefits to society at large and play an important role in elevating the quality of life for all Thais by leading the charge in “creating shared value to achieve sustainability”, a strategy which has always infused into its business practices for the benefits of the people, society, as well as the environment.

To kick off this new chapter, at the end of this year, Siam Piwat, as a Thai company established in the kingdom of benevolent love and heartwarming generosity of its citizen under His Majesty the King’s reign, will continue a CSR project entitled “Citizen of Love by Siam Piwat,” in which the company will envision moving forward through sharing love, providing opportunities and bringing pride and equality for all.

Mrs. Chadatip Chutrakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Group said, “With the commitment to ourvision thatwe have held for over 60 years since the infancy of our company, Siam Piwat has collarborated with public, private, and community to establish various forms of retailingin order to support Thai talents around the country from SMEs in the countryside to Thai talented designers, the youth, those with disabilities, special needs children and underprivileged people. We give them access to Siam Piwat’s spaces where they can proudly promote their products and services as well as encourage them to learn the comprehensive business expertise.”

In addition, Siam Piwat has also collaborated with the community and civil society to keep Thai local wisdom in various fileds alive, and preserve the magnificent Thai cultureas well as improve the commercial capability and leverage the quality of life for people in the community in the way that can create tangible impact. This is the pioneering initiatives in driving all sectors to grow together. In doing such process, we bring our business partners, tenants, entrepreneurs, and Siam Piwat’s employees to co-create value in order to become the company that brings benefit to society and serve as a source of reputation and pride for Thailand.”

Siam Piwat fosters sustainability in three major aspects: 1) people, 2) communities and society, and 3) the environment.

1) People: Creating opportunities, promoting equality among all people and accelerate their success : Mrs. Chadatip Chutrakul said: Siam Piwat emphasizes the opportunity and the equality for the people in 3 groups 1.) the general public ;2.) talents in various fields; 3) those with disabilities, special needs children and underprivileged people through the use of spaces in all of our developments.

- Siam Center For the past 45 years, Siam Center has promoted the works of Thailand’s young designers, enabling them to become the store owners. Siam Center is a birth place of top Thai designers who finally bcome the world-class designers.

- SookSiam: Located on the G Floor of ICONSIAM, SookSiam is a commercial ecosystem that supports and develops the local economy throughout the supply chain and a platform for small business owners across the 77 provinces of Thailand. Working in collaboration with the Community Development Department, the Ministry of Interior, we have selected a wide range of local food, art, handicrafts, medicine, and performances to be featured in this zone. In addition, we provide assistance and educate the vendors on modern trade so that they can penetrate international markets and expand towards e-commerce in the future. Also, we have joined forces with banks to offer them lessons on financial management and saving.

We are proud to have given local heroes, such as artists, craftsmen, business owners, and community enterprises with no venue in Bangkok, an opportunity to sell their products on a platform with tremendous potential. This has not only helped these local heroes generate substantial income and enabled them to raise enough funds to further develop their products but also shown their children real success and inspired them to carry on the business and the craft of their family. More importantly, thanks to our platform, many brands have become internationally recognized among tourists and even expanded their business overseas.

- O.D.S.: Objects of Desire Store or O.D.S., located on the third floor of Siam Discovery, is an exclusive lifestyle and home décor store established in collaboration with the Department of International Trade Promotion, the Ministry of Commerce. The 620 sq.m. space features products from over 130 brands, handpicked from various projects such as DEMark and Talent Thai, with the goal of supporting award-winning products by Thai designers as well as showcasing their works to the world and increasing their opportunity of expanding their business overseas.

- ICONCRAFT: Covering over 2,500 square meters on the fourth and fifth floors on ICONSIAM, ICONCRAFT is a hub of contemporary innovative art and craftwork by over 500 Thai craftsmen, designers, and SMEs. Working in collaboration with the SUPPORT Arts and Crafts International Center of Thailand (SACICT) and the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) to incubate entrepreneurs, we enhance their products by partnering them with experts and offer assistance with product design and packaging design. We also teach them how to use data management systems to manage their business, create an e-platform, and raise sponsorship. Furthermore, we have joined hands with Kasikorn Bank to share knowledge with them on managing their finance, finding new sales channels, and gaining publicity. All of these initiatives have not only enhanced their ability to generate income but also empowered them, filling them with a sense of pride and giving them more exposure and international business opportunities.

2) Communities and Society: Bringing prosperity and better qualify of life to communities around our projects

It is our philosophy that we must bring prosperity and better quality of life to the neighborhoods where we operate our business. Therefore, we strive to share value with every community we become a part of, contribute to businesses in the area, as well as improve the environment and the well-being of local residents, and use universal design to create spaces and facilities that are accessible to all.

Ms. Naratip Ruttapradid, Senior Executive Vice President OperationSiam Piwat Co., Ltd. stated that Siam Piwat is the first property and retail developer in Thailand to fully integrate universal design into its retail complexes, for the convenience of those with disabilities, the elderly, and everyone, giving them equal access to facilities inside the buildings.

- We have invested in building design to ensure that all of our buildings, facilities, and areas in every development are up to universal design standards. For example, we have constructed walkways that are connected to sidewalks and ramps around the building and linked to the parking lot. In addition, a comprehensive range of innovative facilities have been installed both inside and outside of the buildings in OneSiam, which consist of Siam Discovery, Siam Center, and Siam Paragon for the convenience of the elderly or wheelchair users, so that they can travel conveniently across the area. We have, for instance, put in place large elevators that can accommodate wheelchairs of all kinds, added handrails inside the elevators, and posted clear and visible signs for our facilities. Also, we provide toilets for the elderly and people disabilities on every floor of our buildings as well as dedicated parking spaces.

- We have also collaborated with Siam Synergy to renovate the walkway at the Pathumwan Intersection into a skywalk, using a universal design to enable all commuters to travel around more conveniently and making the areas surrounding the intersection more accessible.

Mr. Supoj Chaiwatsirikul, Managing Director, ICONSIAM Co., Ltd. said that right from the very first of the ICONSIAM project, Siam Piwat has made it a policy to protect the environment along the Chao Phraya River, support the development of local communities to promote harmonious coexistence, encourage them to carry on and build on their unique local wisdom, and preserve the magnificent Thai culture that has long been part of the way of life of people living by the Chao Phraya River. In addition, infrastructure has also been developed to ensure that the project does not affect the daily life of local residents.

- Opened Thonburi Delight Zone for local residents to sell famous products from Thonburi

- Collaborated with the Chaipattana Foundation and allied organizations to initiate "Preserving and Improving Chao Phraya River with a Sustainable Water Management" Project, aiming to engage and raise awareness of local people living along the Chao Phraya River for reviving and conserving natural resources and the environment, leading to sustainable living

- Supported the building of “Kadeejeen-Klongsarn Centre”, which serves as a learning center and a platform to exchange knowledge, preserve century-long culture and tradition, promote eco-tourism, and increase local residents’ income for better livelihood, bringing pride to the community

- Boosted connectivity through Gold Line Monorail linking with the MRT Green Line from Charoen Krung Road to Taksin Hospital spanning three stations. In the future, the monorail will become a feeder line for the MRT Red Line and Purple Line. In charge of the development is Krungthep Thanakom Co., Ltd in partnership with Italian Thai Development Public Co., Ltd., the service is expected to start in mid-2020. It will be the first mass transit line in Thailand to use the AGT (Automatic Guideway Transit) system which allows construction to take place in a limited space

- Worked with the local community and organizations overseeing water management to develop a master plan for road-rail-river transport connections to improve connectivity and ensure smooth connection. The opening of new 4 piers comes with increased security, reaching over 73 piers within 10 kilometers. On this, we are working with the Port Authority and Urban Design and Development Center (UddC) of Chulalongkorn University.

- At ICONSIAM, we have been a pioneering leader in full- scale Universal Design, to facilitate accessibility for underprivileged people, physically-challenged people, senior citizens and the public;

- Opened River Park area for the local residents to come exercise as if it were their own front porch;

- Supported capacity development and quality of life improvement of 13 communities in various dimensions. For example, ICONSIAM organised “ICONSIAM Young Ambassador”, the initiative for youth to learn about art and culture and preserve local tradition. Scholarships were also given to schools in the nearby communities.

3) Environment: Ensuring natural resources and environment remain in balance and raising awareness about the importance of environmental conservation

Mrs. Usara Yongpiyakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Retail Holding Co., Ltd., stated, “Siam Piwat has introduced policies and guidelines to protect and conserve the environment in all areas where the company operates its business in order to ensure that their natural resources and environment remain in balance. All of Siam Piwat’s projects raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation and galvanize the public into action against global warming, so that we have a beautiful world to pass on to later generations.

- Published a “Green Siam” book which contains environment-related information

- Siam Discovery has been established as a pioneer in incorporating environmental consciousness into its business strategies and positioned itself as a lifestyle destination that sets out to inspire people to adopt more eco-friendly lifestyles for environmental sustainability. Through several creative awareness raising events such as “100 Design” which transformed the space in Siam Discovery to a classroom to teach about environmental awareness, we hope to instill in students and general public environmental consciousness.

- The motto ‘Lifestyles in Harmony with Nature’ refers to the convergence of healthy and eco-friendly products and modern lifestyles through collaboration with our business partners and store owners in pursuit of Siam Piwat’s “The Future of Sustainability in Retail strategy” through adhering to the 10 principles which are embedded in all our businesses, spanning from policies to customers.

- Another key initiative is the establishment of Green Fund. It is a budget that Siam Piwat, in collaboration with various Green Communities, has allocated specifically for projects or activities that support environment conservation and sustainability.

- Reduce and refuse the use of single-use plastics starting from replacing plastic shopping bags with paper since 2016. This year, we also partnered with social enterprises embracing a software application as a tool to raise awareness among customers and encourage them to reduce and refuse single-use plastics, such as straws, cutlery. Siam Piwat has a long-term operation plan to continuously deliver benefits back to its customers and society.

- Ms.Naratipe Ruttapradid added that Siam Piwat places great importance on the business's environmental impact. We introduced policies and guidelines to protect and conserve the environment in all areas.

- Prioritize energy saving and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, the company has joined carbon offset projects held by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization as well as the “Green Bangkok Network” Project by BMA’s Environmental Office. LED lights have been used in all properties to reduce energy consumption.

- ICONSIAM utilizes renewable energy generated from the Solar Rooftop to reduce electricity consumption equivalent to 1-month worth of electricity used in its carpark lightings. Electrostatic Air Cleaner was installed to filter oil mist and neutralize cooking odors before diffusing them to the environment. 4,000-square-meter of green space was built around the area.

- Eco Charger Station provides electric vehicle charging service at Siam Car Park, Siam Paragon and ICONSIAM

- Contribute to Thailand’s sustainable plastic and waste management projects by raising awareness amongst consumers and the public, galvanizing them to apply the practice in their everyday lives. A systematic waste management and segregation has also been implemented.

- 3Rs principle (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) has been put into practice in the company’s environmental management of the facilities for over 10 years, such as in waste segregation, optimizing plastic usage, etc.

Today, Siam Piwat aims to be the organization that incorporates the creation of shared value for the benefits of the people, communities and the country, far and wide on a large scale through initiatives that improve the quality of life in communities and society as well as promote the environmental sustainability. Siam Piwat is ready to advance its project Citizen of Love by Siam Piwat to spread love and extend opportunities to all to empower them and promote equality. This initiative encourages customers and tenants to pass on the new year gifts to children in needs. New Year Gift Sets, consisting of student backpacks and stationery, will be given to 26,500 students in 218 Border Patrol Police Schools across Thailand to support their education and inspire them to study happily in this new coming year of 2020. Join us in demonstrating the power of giving by donating at the collection points, M Floor, Siam Center (connecting to Park Paragon), 3rd floor Siam Paragon (In front of The The Cloud: Sansiri x The Coffee Club), 1st floor, Siam Discovery (Skybridge), M floor, ICONSIAM (In front of L’Occitane) from today until 5 January 2020.