3 Key Things to Know About TEMA
1. What is TEMA and what problem does it solve? TEMA, the Thailand Entrepreneur Marketing Association, is an independent private-sector organization that brings together proven practitioners to serve as a strategic partner for Thai SMEs. Rather than delivering generic theory, TEMA conducts deep-dive analysis and hands-on problem-solving for individual businesses. It is led by Pharmacist Dr. Sangsuk Pithayanukul, an expert with a track record spanning more than 4,000 business development and turnaround engagements.
2. What crises are Thai SMEs facing in 2026? More than 3.3 million Thai entrepreneurs are simultaneously battling a "Perfect Storm" from four directions: economic pressure and rising costs, AI and technology disruption, borderless competition from multinational capital, and a widening gap in marketing and management skills.
3. What will entrepreneurs gain from TEMA? TEMA members access eight categories of service — from Online Knowledge and Community Meet sessions to Strategic Roundtables, SME Health Checks, and the flagship SME Business Clinic. Membership packages span three tiers, from Silver at THB 1,200/year to Platinum at THB 5,000/year.
Bangkok, 4 March 2026 - Thailand's business landscape has entered a new era of entrepreneur empowerment. The private sector has united to formally launch the Thailand Entrepreneur Marketing Association (TEMA), led by Pharmacist Dr. Sangsuk Pithayanukul, an expert who has guided more than 4,000 businesses, alongside a distinguished team of marketing and SME specialists and Honorary Advisors. TEMA's mission is to serve as a strategic partner and marketing solutions hub for Thailand's 3.3 million SMEs, helping them move beyond mere survival toward sustainable prosperity through a three-tier membership system and the hands-on SME Business Clinic service.
Decoding the Crisis: Thai SMEs Are Facing a Perfect Storm
The founding of TEMA reflects a shared commitment among private-sector leaders who recognize the mounting challenges facing Thailand's 3.3 million SMEs — the backbone of the national economy. These entrepreneurs are confronting a "Perfect Storm" from every direction, driven by four critical forces:
- Economic Strain: A slowing economy collides with continuously rising costs for raw materials, energy, and labor. SME profit margins are being squeezed from both sides simultaneously.
- AI & Tech Disruption: Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are transforming consumer behavior at an unprecedented pace. Entrepreneurs who fail to adapt risk losing their market position without realizing it.
- Hyper-Competition: Foreign capital and low-cost imported goods are flooding Thai markets at a scale unprecedented in the nation's business history, creating pricing pressure that small operators struggle to withstand.
- Management Gap: Many entrepreneurs offer quality products and services but lack robust marketing strategies and management systems — preventing truly good offerings from reaching the market they deserve.
Leadership Vision: "If You Want to Get Rich, Hurry Up and Fail", Transforming Business Owners into True Entrepreneurs
Pharmacist Dr. Sangsuk Pithayanukul, President of TEMA — with a career spanning more than 4,000 business development and turnaround engagements — declared: "Today is not just the launch of another association. Today marks the beginning of a mission that we in the private sector have joined forces to pursue by elevating Thai entrepreneurs toward sustainable growth."
Pharmacist Dr. Sangsuk also shared his signature mantra for navigating crisis: "Whenever entrepreneurs come to me for advice, I always offer them one piece of wisdom: 'If you want to get rich, hurry up and fail.' It sounds alarming at first — but what it means is this: move fast, fail fast, learn fast. Many people are paralyzed by fear and end up doing nothing at all. Those who succeed have already failed many times over. Launch ten products and one will succeed. That is the true path of the Entrepreneur."
TEMA's Organizational Structure: A United Expert Team for Thai SMEs
The Thailand Entrepreneur Marketing Association is an independent private-sector organization with no political affiliations. It is driven by a Board of Directors and Honorary Advisors spanning business, academia, and organizational development.
- Pharmacist Dr. Sangsuk Pithayanukul, President, TEMA; business development expert with 4,000+ engagements
- Dr. Tosit Visalset, Vice President, TEMA Social Marketing expert
- Ms. Rossukon Khusombat, Director and Secretary, TEMA Facilitator expert
- Dr. Woraphat Phucharoen, Honorary Advisor, TEMA; national-level executive leadership consultant
- Professor Wittawat Rungruengphon, Honorary Advisor, TEMA; Professor of Marketing, Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University
TEMA operates across seven core objectives: advancing international-standard marketing capabilities, building a thriving ecosystem and network, conducting research in the Thai business context, fostering innovation, collaborating with public-benefit organizations, promoting ethics and CSR, and ultimately reaching 10,000 entrepreneurs per year.
Arming Thai Businesses: 8 Services Designed Exclusively for Thai SMEs
TEMA has engineered a suite of eight service categories to address every dimension of what entrepreneurs need: 1. Online Knowledge - Marketing and business knowledge delivered digitally, accessible anywhere, anytime.2. Community Meet - Member networking forums for cross-pollination of perspectives and building a robust professional network.3. Paid Event Discounts - Preferential rates on Marketing Classes, Workshops, and skills development events.4. Strategic Roundtable - Executive-level SME strategy-sharing sessions in an exclusive roundtable format.5. Business Promotion - Promotion of member businesses through TEMA's official communication channels.6. Incubation Program - In-depth incubation covering end-to-end marketing and business operations.7. SME Health Check - A diagnostic review identifying an organization's strengths, weaknesses, and development opportunities.8. SME Business Clinic - Experts conduct hands-on 'business surgery' by directly resolving issues on a case-by-case basis across people, systems, products, and marketing
Three-Tier Membership: Choose the Solution That Fits Your Business
- Participant - FreeBest for: Entrepreneurs who want to explore TEMA before committing. Members receive news updates and first access to association activities. 1. Silver - THB 1,200/yearBest for: Entrepreneurs looking to begin building networks and expanding knowledge. Includes:- Online Knowledge (3 sessions/year)- Community Meet (1 session/year)- Discounts on all Paid Events (Talks, Workshops, Classes) 2. Gold - THB 2,500/yearBest for: Entrepreneurs ready to scale their business systematically. Includes:- Online Knowledge (6 sessions/year)- Community Meet (1 session/year)- Discounts on all Paid Events- Priority enrollment in Incubation Program with special discount- SME Health Check — in-depth organizational strength and weakness assessment 3. Platinum - THB 5,000/yearBest for: Entrepreneurs who need direct expert intervention to resolve core business challenges. Includes:- Unlimited Online Knowledge- Community Meet (1 session/year)- Discounts on all Paid Events- Strategic Roundtable - deep strategy sessions with fellow SME executives- Business Promotion via TEMA's official channels- Priority enrollment in Incubation Program with special discount- SME Health Check- SME Business Clinic - direct access to experts who conduct on-site 'business surgery,' analyzing root causes across people, systems, products, and marketing
National Experts Convene at Economic Outlook Seminar
Alongside the official launch, TEMA hosted a special panel discussion titled "TEMA: Winning with Entrepreneurial Marketing". Three nationally distinguished speakers led the conversation:
- Pharmacist Dr. Sangsuk Pithayanukul - TEMA President; practitioner insights from 4,000+ real-world business engagements
- Dr. Woraphat Phucharoen - Honorary Advisor of TEMA; national executive leadership consultant and specialist in mindset and strategic organizational development
- Professor Wittawat Rungruengphon - Honorary Advisor of TEMA; Professor of Marketing, Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University; specialist in modern consumer behavior trends and marketing strategy
The discussion addressed the most pressing questions facing Thai entrepreneurs in 2026: emerging consumer behavior trends, the critical distinction between a "Business Owner" and a true "Entrepreneur," and TEMA's roadmap for moving Thai SMEs from the path of survival to the path of sustainable prosperity.
Entrepreneurs interested in TEMA membership, the SME Business Clinic, or further information may contact the association through Facebook :temathailand
