AMCHAM Thailand Announces Finalists for Special Awards at the 2026 AMCHAM Corporate Impact Awards

   

AMCHAM Thailand Announces Finalists for Special Awards at the 2026 AMCHAM Corporate Impact Awards

AMCHAM Member Companies Building Thailand’s Future: Celebrating Innovation, Empowerment and Impact

The American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) has announced the finalists for the Special Awards at the AMCHAM Corporate Impact Awards 2026, recognizing outstanding corporate initiatives driving social and environmental impact across three award categories: the Ambassador’s Award, the Thai Development Award, and the Impact Excellence Award.

A total of nine finalists, three per category, were selected by the AMCHAM Corporate Impact Council from member companies recognized this year for their exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustainability.

Ambassador’s Award: Awarded by the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, this category honors initiatives that driving positive economic and social impact through investment in U.S. – Thai innovations. The 2026 finalists are:

• Johnson & Johnson: Sight For Kids (SFK), a global Johnson & Johnson and Lions Clubs International Foundation initiative, promotes children’s vision health through school-based screenings, education, and access to care. In Thailand, the MedTech Vision team supported five schools across Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Pathum Thani in 2026, providing vision screenings and eye health education to nearly 900 students.
• Mars Thailand: Mars partnered with IOM, Arche Advisors, and Ulula to support responsible labor practices across participating seafood suppliers in Thailand. Through the Next Generation Supplier Program, the initiative provides migrant workers with secure grievance-reporting channels, builds supplier capability, and promotes the Employer Pays Principle. To date, the program has reached more than 45,000 workers, supporting efforts to strengthen responsible recruitment practices and help identify and address forced labor risks.
• Seagate Technology: Seagate Technology’s partnership with PMU B and KMITL supports technical skills development in Thailand through lecturer training and international industry exposure. Each year, KMITL lecturers participate in site visit activities at Seagate Technology’s U.S. and UK facilities, providing educational exposure and a broader understanding of relevant industry practices, while supporting curriculum development and academia-industry collaboration. The program builds a skilled talent pipeline and strengthens Thailand’s talent and innovation capacity.

Thai Development Award: This award acknowledges projects that are Fostering Circular Economy Infrastructure and Systems for Public Health. The 2026 finalists are:

• Berli Jucker: BJC Glass’s GlassCycle initiative promotes circular glass recovery across Thailand’s island communities. Through the Kaew Kor Kuen (Bring Glass Back) Project, partnerships with municipalities, businesses, tourism operators, and communities enable glass bottles to be collected and recycled into new packaging. The initiative has recovered over 400 tons and is expanding nationwide.
• Dow Thailand: Dow’s Ban Chang Material Recovery Facility in Rayong advances a community-driven circular economy through public-private collaboration. Since 2023, the facility has processed over 61 tons of recyclables, reduced emissions, generated community income, and created inclusive jobs. The initiative demonstrates how shared innovation can reduce waste, strengthen livelihoods, and improve environmental well-being.
• Suntory Beverage & Food (Thailand): BRAND’S Bring Back empowers students to drive circularity through waste segregation, recycling, reuse, and upcycling. In 2025, the program reached nearly 5,700 students through workshops and distributed learning kits to all 437 BMA schools, reaching more than 256,000 students. By fostering lasting behavior change, it supports cleaner, healthier communities.

Impact Excellence Award: This award recognizes projects that transforming lives by empowering communities, embracing inclusion, and creating shared prosperity. The 2026 finalists are:

• Save the Children: ACHIEVE for Youth Employability helps migrant youth and young people facing barriers in Mae Sot, Thailand, move from education into decent work. Through life skills, Thai language learning, vocational training, and hospitality internships, the project builds employability and links youth with employers. 19 youths have already secured full-time jobs.
• Steps Consulting: Steps partners with TPQI to develop Thailand’s first nationally accredited employment pathway for neurodivergent learners. Combining personalized learning, vocational training, workplace readiness and internships, the program equips learners with recognized credentials and job-ready skills. From 2024–2026, 15 learners participated, with 40% of graduates transitioning to employment or paid internships to date.
• TOPS: TOPS TONGTIN connects local SMEs with modern retail, helping entrepreneurs across Thailand bring distinctive local products to consumers. Through sourcing, business matching, product development, marketing, and channel expansion, the program builds SME capabilities and market access. With 166 suppliers and 863 local SKUs, it strengthens local businesses and community economies.

Each judging panel for the award categories will include key representatives from both the public and private sectors. These include the Board of Investment, Ministry of Higher Education, Science & Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Office of Industrial Economics, United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Development, U.S. Embassy, United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), previous special award winners, and AMCHAM Board Governors.

The AMCHAM Corporate Impact Awards 2026 will culminate in a gala dinner on November 9, 2026, announcing the Special Awards winners and celebrating the broader contributions of 119 AMCHAM member companies to sustainable growth and social impact. Milestone awards will honor long-term social responsibility commitments: Silver (three years), Gold (five years), and Platinum (ten years) recognition for consecutive achievement.

For more details about AMCHAM and the Chamber’s Corporate Impact Awards, please visit  AMCHAM Corporate Impact Awards, or email varsha@amchamthailand.com.

Media Contact

Varsha Wadhwani, AMCHAM Communications Manager

About AMCHAM Thailand

The American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit membership organization with 3,500 members representing over 690 American, Thai, and other international companies. Member companies have cumulatively invested over 90 billion U.S. dollars in Thailand and provide more than 500,000 local jobs.

Annex: Project Details

Ambassador’s Award – The Ambassador’s Award – Driving positive economic and social impact through investment in U.S. – Thai innovations

Johnson & Johnson

Sight For Kids (SFK) is a global initiative established by Johnson & Johnson and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) to promote children’s vision health and help address myopia (nearsightedness). The program provides free school-based vision screenings, eye health education, and referrals for further treatment when needed. Globally, more than 200,000 teachers have been trained, over 650,000 students have received eye care services or surgery, and more than 515,000 pairs of glasses have been provided. In Thailand, the MedTech Vision team has continuously supported the SFK program. In 2026, the initiative reached five schools across Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Pathum Thani, delivering vision screenings and eye health education to nearly 900 students. Through early detection, awareness, and access to care, the program helps children achieve better educational outcomes and supports the long-term well-being of families and communities.

Seagate Technology

Seagate Technology’s collaboration with Thailand’s Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation (PMU B) demonstrates a high-impact U.S.-Thai partnership advancing technical skills and workforce development. Through its partnership with King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Seagate Technology supports technical education and workforce capabilities in Thailand. Each year, five selected KMITL lecturers participate in professional development programs at designated Seagate facilities in the United States and United Kingdom. The program provides participating lecturers with educational exposure to data storage technology and relevant industry practices through planned site visit activities, supports the creation and integration of engineering and technology curriculum at KMITL, and strengthens academia-industry collaboration. It increases Thailand’s talent and innovation capacity and builds a sustainable talent pipeline in critical deep-tech fields. This partnership demonstrates how sustained collaboration in talent development and innovation can create lasting economic and social benefits.

Berli Jucker

BJC Glass, through its GlassCycle initiative, launched the Kaew Kor Kuen (กขค – “Bring Glass Back”) Project to establish a sustainable circular glass recovery system for Thailand’s island communities, where mainland transport limits recycling. First introduced on Koh Lanta, the initiative has evolved into a circular economy model, with Koh Tao among its most mature implementations. In partnership with Koh Tao Municipality, Thai Beverage Recycle (TBR), local businesses, tourism operators, and community members, the project established a collection network for glass bottles to be collected, transported, and recycled into packaging. Revenue from recovered glass helps offset transportation costs, supporting sustainability. To date, the initiative has recovered over 400 tons of glass bottles, preventing waste, risks, and supporting sustainable tourism. The model is expanding to Koh Yao and Koh Samui, strengthening circular economy infrastructure and delivering lasting environmental, economic, and social benefits across Thailand.

Thai Development Award: Fostering circular economy infrastructure and systems for public health.

Berli Jucker

BJC Glass, through its GlassCycle initiative, launched the Kaew Kor Kuen (Bring Glass Back) Project to establish a sustainable circular glass recovery system for Thailand’s island communities, where mainland transport limits recycling. First introduced on Koh Lanta, the initiative has evolved into a circular economy model, with Koh Tao among its most mature implementations. In partnership with Koh Tao Municipality, Thai Beverage Recycle (TBR), local businesses, tourism operators, and community members, the project established a collection network for glass bottles to be collected, transported, and recycled into packaging. Revenue from recovered glass helps offset transportation costs, supporting sustainability. To date, the initiative has recovered over 400 tons of glass bottles, preventing waste, risks, and supporting sustainable tourism. The model is expanding to Koh Yao and Koh Samui, strengthening circular economy infrastructure and delivering lasting environmental, economic, and social benefits across Thailand.

Dow Thailand

Plastic waste is a growing environmental and public health challenge in Rayong, driven by increasing waste volumes, open burning, and improper disposal. To address these issues, Dow helped establish the Ban Chang Material Recovery Facility (MRF) through a public-private partnership integrating circular economy infrastructure with a community-owned social enterprise model. Dow co-invested in the project and contributed engineering, safety, and operational expertise co-designing with the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) to optimize operations and develop a sustainable community business model. The Thai Government co-funded the initiative, while TISTR provided recycling technologies and SMART digital management systems. Municipalities supported infrastructure and policy development, and communities participated through source segregation and local ownership. Since 2023, the MRF has processed more than 61 tons of recyclables, avoided over 114 tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions, generated more than 333,000 baht in income, created eight inclusive jobs, and engaged 729 community members.

Suntory Beverage & Food (Thailand)

BRAND’S Bring Back goes beyond recycling education to build a circular economy that promotes environmental sustainability and public health. In partnership with the Pollution Control Department and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the program equips students with the knowledge, skills, and tools to practice waste segregation, recycling, reuse, and repurposing at school and in their communities. In 2025, the initiative delivered waste segregation and waste bank workshops to nearly 5,700 students across ten pilot schools in Bangkok. To expand its impact, waste segregation learning kits were distributed to all 437 BMA schools, enabling hands-on learning for more than 256,000 students. Students were also encouraged to share their knowledge with families, extending the program’s impact beyond classrooms. By improving waste segregation at source, the program reduces recyclable contamination, strengthens resource recovery, and supports a more efficient circular economy. Through long-term behavior change, school-led reuse and upcycling, and multi-sector collaboration, BRAND’S Bring Back is establishing sustainable waste management systems for cleaner environment and healthier communities.

Impact Excellence Award – Transforming lives by empowering communities, embracing inclusion, and creating shared prosperity.

Save the Children

The ACHIEVE for Youth Employability project supports migrant youth and young people facing barriers in Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand, to move from education into decent work.

Implemented by Save the Children Thailand with support from Marriott Business Council Thailand and Accenture, in partnership with Maesod Technical College and the Inclusive Education Foundation, ACHIEVE addresses limited access to education, language challenges, documentation constraints, and restricted employment opportunities. The project combines life skills, Thai language learning, vocational education, and hands-on hospitality work experience.

To date, 254 youth have strengthened life and 21st-century skills, 42 have completed hospitality vocational training, and 37 have completed internships with hotels and service businesses in Bangkok and Mae Sot.

As a result, 19 young people have secured full-time employment, while others have strengthened their employability, confidence, communication skills and workplace readiness. By connecting youth with employers and industry-relevant training, ACHIEVE opens pathways to decent work and inclusive employment. With employers and industry-relevant training, ACHIEVE opens pathways to decent work and inclusive employment.

Steps Consulting

Thailand has long lacked nationally recognized vocational pathways that prepare neurodivergent people and persons with disabilities (PWDs) for meaningful employment. Steps addresses this gap by partnering with the TPQI to develop and pilot Thailand’s first nationally accredited employment pathway for neurodivergent learners. The program combines personalized learning, vocational qualifications, workplace readiness and internships, enabling learners to gain industry-relevant skills, earn recognized credentials and transition to employment. Between 2024 and 2026, 15 learners participated in accredited Digital Literacy and Barista pathways, with 10 graduating. Of these, 95% reported stronger self-advocacy, 70% progressed to workplace experience, and 40% of graduates transitioned into employment or paid internships. Employers benefit from access to skilled, job-ready talent and guidance to strengthen inclusive recruitment and workplace confidence. National accreditation enables vocational institutions, employers and training providers to adopt the program and expand access across Thailand, strengthening workforce inclusion and creating lasting social and economic value for individuals, businesses, and communities.

TOPS

TOPS TONGTIN is TOPS’ inclusive sourcing program, addressing a key challenge for local SMEs: accessing modern retail. Since its launch, the program has engaged more than 2,000 SMEs, with 166 onboarded as suppliers and 863 locally produced SKUs now available in TOPS stores. The program focuses on distinctive local products that reflect the identity, craftsmanship, and culinary heritage of communities across Thailand. Beyond market access, TOPS TONGTIN provides support, including product, packaging, and labeling advice to marketing integration, faster payment terms, and channel expansion through our export team, helping SMEs grow sustainably in retail. TOPS combines an easy-to-access online application platform with proactive regional business matching across Thailand’s four regions, bringing opportunities closer to local entrepreneurs. In 2026, more than 70 SMEs joined Thailand’s national Thai Chuay Thai campaign, expanding consumer reach. By removing market barriers and building commercial partnerships, TOPS TONGTIN empowers local entrepreneurs, preserves local heritage through sustainable businesses, strengthens community economies, and creates shared prosperity across Thailand. TOPS TONGTIN is a part of “Responsible Sourcing,” one of the 12 Missions to Sustainable Retail under TOPS’ sustainability strategy.