Empowering Thai Small Businesses Through Community-Based Capacity Building in Environmental Responsibility and Digital Marketing

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand face challenges in adapting to sustainable practices and digitalization in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era. This Community Service program aimed to enhance sustainability literacy and digital marketing capacity of SMEs at Save One Go Market Yaek Kor Por Aor, Thailand. The topic was selected due to significant gaps between global sustainability demands (SDGs) and actual practices of local SMEs, particularly regarding plastic packaging use and digital technology utilization. The implementation method employed a community-based capacity building approach with experiential learning, involving 30 SME owners through interactive workshops, hands-on practice, and participatory mentoring. Evaluation was conducted using outcome-based evaluation without pre-posttests, including structured observation, written reflection, and action plan assessment. Results demonstrated attitudinal shifts among participants from perceiving sustainability as "cost burden" to "business value-added", increased collective awareness on plastic reduction, strengthened digital content creation capacity, and formulation of sustainable SME action plans for 3-6 months implementation. This program proves that participatory approaches effectively drive SME transformation toward sustainable practices and digital marketing adoption, producing an international capacity building model replicable in similar SME ecosystems across ASEAN region.