After announcing on March 31 that it was suspending television and digital advertisements for all its brands in Thailand, Coca-Cola then moved forward with its COVID-19 community relief and response efforts by providing an initial donation of 25 million baht to support the 'Chaipattana COVID-19 Aid Fund (and Other Pandemics)’ by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Honorary President of the Chaipattana Foundation on April 7 as well as using its trucks to transport some of the purchased medical equipment to selected hospitals that require assistance. Coca-Cola has this month provided a further grant to the Fund with an extra US$400,000 (approximately 12 million baht) contributed by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the international philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. This latest donation aims to help ensure that healthcare professionals and medical facilities continue to be well-equipped now that the government has begun to loosen restrictions across the country.
Pornwut Sarasin, Chairman, ThaiNamthip Co. Ltd., said: “All of us at Coca-Cola salute and appreciate the hard work and sacrifices that every official and volunteer has made to help with the relief efforts during this pandemic. As restrictions loosen across the country, we all need to keep our vigilance and continue to support public health bodies and those on the frontline. This is why we are contributing further support to the Chaipattana Foundation through this additional grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation in the United States.”
Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul, Secretary-General of the Chaipattana Foundation, said: It is good news that the COVID-19 situation in Thailand is improving. But while an effective vaccine is still not available, it is necessary to be prepared for every eventuality of COVID-19 and other epidemics in the future. We have to ensure that there is sufficient equipment and essentials available for the treatment of patients as well as the protection of medical professionals in under-resourced hospitals – particularly in rural areas. Although the Foundation has already provided assistance to 115 hospitals nationwide, the continuity of this support is still needed to further strengthen their capabilities. We highly appreciate the continued support from Coca-Cola to the Chaipattana COVID-19 Aid Fund (and Other Pandemics). The additional resource will enable us to extend our relief efforts to more vulnerable people.”
“The Coca-Cola system in Thailand comprising ThaiNamthip Co. Ltd., Haad Thip Plc, and Coca-Cola (Thailand) Ltd., is honored to be part of the Thai society, where people show a genuine spirit of solidarity and generosity in helping each other get through these challenging times together. We are also very happy to start seeing the reopening of many of businesses, particularly those of our customers.
The resilience of the Thai people is very evident and we know everyone remains cautiously optimistic. And while our business has been impacted, we have been blessed by the strength, adaptability and commitment of our employees which has allowed us to adjust quickly in coping with the situation. Business-wise, we expect a gradual recovery of the Thai economy and are planning to begin resumption of our marketing and advertising activities from July onwards,” Pornwut added.