The Salvation Army Foundation - Beyond Donations: How Businesses Can Make a Real Difference in Thailand

By Auxiliary Lieutenant Rodney Pattison
The Salvation Army Thailand
 

When people think about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), they often think about companies making donations to charities or sponsoring fundraising events. While financial support is always appreciated, I believe there’s a lot more we can achieve when businesses and community organisations work together.
Sometimes the most valuable thing a company can offer isn’t money. It might be the skills of its employees, access to equipment, help with transport or simply a few people willing to roll up their sleeves and lend a hand.
At The Salvation Army Thailand, we’re keen to explore these opportunities with businesses that want to make a genuine difference in the communities around them.
 

Understanding Both Sides
Having spent more than 30 years owning and running businesses, I understand the pressures business owners face. There are employees to look after, customers to keep happy and bills that never seem to stop arriving.
I also know that many businesses genuinely want to give something back to their communities, but finding the time and knowing where to start isn’t always easy.
My connection with The Salvation Army goes back much further than my recent appointment in Thailand. I grew up in The Salvation Army, and my father, retired Major Owen Pattison, is still actively involved 6 days a week at the age of 86.
Growing up around that commitment to helping others has certainly influenced how I see community service.
My wife, Auxiliary Lieutenant Nongnuch (Nuch) Pattison, who holds both Australian and Thai citizenship, serves alongside me here in Thailand. Together, we bring an understanding of both countries and cultures, along with business experience, compassion and empathy for the communities we serve. We hope these qualities will help us build meaningful relationships between Australian businesses and local communities, creating opportunities to make a genuine difference.
Now, having spent much of our working life in business, we find myself in a position where those 2 worlds come together.
We understand the realities of running a business, and we see the opportunities that exist when businesses and community organisations work together.
 

The Challenges We Don’t Always See
Thailand is a wonderful country with a growing economy and a thriving business community. However, behind the busy shopping centres, hotels and office buildings, there are families and individuals facing some very difficult circumstances.
Some are struggling to put food on the table. Others have been affected by flooding, unemployment or unexpected hardship. There are also refugee and displaced communities who face additional challenges accessing everyday necessities.
In northern Thailand, families and young people can face other challenges, including limited educational opportunities, financial hardship and vulnerability to exploitation and human trafficking.
Through our work with The Salvation Army, we see how even relatively small amounts of practical assistance can make a difference.
Something as simple as providing a family with food, hygiene products or essential household supplies can take away some of the immediate pressure they’re facing.
Of course, these challenges aren’t going to disappear overnight, and no single organisation can solve them all.
That’s why working together matters.
 

There’s More to CSR Than Writing a Cheque
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that businesses have an enormous amount to offer beyond financial contributions.
Think about the different skills and resources within a typical company.
A logistics business understands transport and distribution. A hotel has people experienced in hospitality and organising activities. A technology company has skills that could help a charity improve the way it operates.
Even a small business with a handful of employees can make a meaningful contribution.
Imagine a group of employees spending a morning helping prepare essential supply packages for families experiencing hardship.
Or a company using its professional expertise to help a community organisation solve a practical problem.
These are the sorts of opportunities we’d like to explore.
They give employees a chance to get involved, businesses an opportunity to contribute to their communities and, most importantly, provide practical assistance to people who need it.
 

An Organisation Built on Trust and Service
The Salvation Army has been helping people through difficult times for more than 160 years. Today, its work extends across more than 130 countries, providing humanitarian assistance, community services and practical support to people from all walks of life.
In September 2026, The Salvation Army was named Australia’s Most Trusted Charity in the Roy Morgan Trusted Brand Awards.
For Australian businesses operating in Thailand, that recognition may provide some reassurance when considering potential community partnerships.
Here in Thailand, we’re fortunate to have dedicated Salvation Army officers and staff working in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
These are people who understand their local communities and are committed to helping those experiencing hardship. Much of their work happens quietly, without publicity or recognition, simply because there are people who need assistance.
 

Our Work Across Thailand
The Salvation Army’s work in Thailand covers a range of community and humanitarian needs, with programmes designed to provide practical assistance, education and support.
 

Emergency Relief and Community Assistance
Our teams provide practical support to vulnerable families and communities facing hardship, including those affected by flooding and other emergencies.
Recent activities have included distributing essential food supplies, hygiene products and household necessities to families in need.
 

Refugee and Displaced Community Support
In Bangkok, The Salvation Army has been working with humanitarian partners, including UNHCR, to coordinate assistance for refugee and displaced communities.
This includes helping provide essential supplies to families facing difficult circumstances.
 

Anti Human Trafficking Education and Awareness
Human trafficking remains a serious concern, particularly for vulnerable individuals and communities.
Education and awareness play an important role in helping people recognise potential risks, understand exploitation and know where to seek assistance.
The Salvation Army’s work includes supporting education and awareness initiatives aimed at helping protect vulnerable people from trafficking and exploitation.
 

Children, Education and Community Programmes in Northern Thailand
In Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, Salvation Army officers and staff are involved in community programmes supporting children, young people and families.
These activities include educational support, community outreach and initiatives aimed at helping vulnerable people build safer and more stable futures.
The dedication of our local officers, staff and volunteers is central to this work. Their understanding of the communities they serve helps ensure that assistance is practical, respectful and appropriate.
As an international Christian organisation, The Salvation Army’s mission is to meet human needs without discrimination.
 

For The Salvation Army, our focus is on providing practical assistance while treating everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of their nationality, religion, background or personal circumstances.
How Businesses Can Get Involved
We’re interested in developing relationships with companies that would like to become involved in practical community activities.
That involvement can take many forms.
 

Employee Volunteering
Companies could encourage staff to participate in organised community activities, help prepare essential supply packages or assist with suitable humanitarian projects.
It’s a great opportunity for employees to do something different while contributing to a worthwhile cause.
 

Sharing Skills and Experience
Not every contribution needs to involve physical volunteering.
Businesses have people with experience in logistics, technology, communications, administration and many other areas.
Sometimes a few hours of professional advice or practical assistance can be incredibly valuable to a community organisation.
 

Supporting Specific Projects
Some companies may prefer to become involved in a particular humanitarian or community programme that aligns with their interests.
This might involve helping families affected by flooding or natural disasters, supporting educational initiatives, contributing to anti human trafficking awareness programmes or assisting with other community projects.
 

Donating Essential Supplies
Businesses may also be able to contribute food, hygiene products, household necessities, educational materials or other useful items.
The important thing is making sure that what is provided matches what communities actually need.
 

Building Ongoing Relationships
Personally, I believe this is where some of the greatest opportunities exist.
Rather than organising a single activity and moving on, businesses and community organisations can develop relationships that grow over time.
As we get to know each other, we begin to understand what each organisation can offer and where we can make the biggest difference together.
 

Making Sure Our Efforts Really Help
There’s another important side to CSR that sometimes gets overlooked.
It’s not just about how many people participate in an activity or how much money is spent.
It’s about whether we’ve actually helped someone.
Did a family receive the assistance they needed? 
Did a community benefit from the project? 
Were the resources used wisely?
These are the questions that matter.
For The Salvation Army, our focus is on providing practical assistance while treating everyone with dignity and respect, without discrimination.
When businesses share that commitment, there’s an opportunity to achieve something genuinely worthwhile.
 

Let’s See What We Can Achieve Together
Australia and Thailand have strong business connections, and many Australian companies have been part of the Thai business community for years.
Through our membership of AustCham Thailand, we’re looking forward to getting to know more of those businesses and exploring opportunities to work together.
We’re not approaching these relationships with a list of requests for donations.
We’d much rather start with a conversation.
What does your company do? 
What skills and resources could you share? 
Are your employees interested in volunteering? 
Are there community issues that matter to your organisation?
From there, we can explore whether there are practical opportunities to work together.
Some partnerships might involve a small group of volunteers helping with a community project. Others could develop into longer term programmes.
Every business is different, and there’s no single approach that suits everyone.
What matters is finding opportunities that work for the business, The Salvation Army and, most importantly, the people we’re trying to help.
 

At the end of the day, making a difference doesn’t always require a big budget. Sometimes it just takes a few people who care enough to get involved.
If you’re an AustCham member interested in exploring how your business could contribute to community projects in Thailand, I’d be delighted to have a conversation over coffee, lunch or dinner.
 

Contact
Auxiliary Lieutenant Rodney Pattison
The Salvation Army Thailand

Email: Rodney.Pattison@salvationarmy.org.au
Website: salvationarmy.or.th
Phone (Thailand): 089 885 4236
WhatsApp: +61 426 867 338