TAP Group , the leading brewer and marketer of Heineken®, Tiger, and Cheers beer, and the authorized importer and distributor for Guinness and Kilkenny, is celebrating the significant milestone of 20 years in Thailand with the fifth consecutive year of the “Namjai Thai Asia Scholarship” for students living in communities in Nonthaburi province. The students have to be well mannered with good academic records and in need of financial support. The scholarships, which support higher education courses, are an integral part of the company’s corporate social responsibility program which focuses on providing educational support and promoting environmentally-sustainable conservation. The award ceremony for the scholarships was held in the Copper Room at TAP Brewery (Brewery House), which is located in Sai Yai sub-district, Sai Noi district, Nonthaburi.
TAP’s Managing Director, Mr. Larry Lee Chio Lim, said, “As we know that education is important in improving the quality of life over the long run, we initiated the ‘Namjai Thai Asia Scholarship’ in 2011. The scholarships are given to students with good manners and strong morals who have financial problems. They must demonstrate significant GPAs at schools in communities close to our brewery including Sai Yai sub-district and Ratsadon Niyom sub-district, which are in the Sai Noi district of Nonthaburi province. From the beginning until now, the scholarships, which support the students’ higher education and do not have to be paid back, include 19 scholarships that were provided in 2011, 50 scholarships given in 2012, 70 scholarships offered in 2013, 66 scholarships provided in 2014, and 87 scholarships given to students in 2015.”
Many families find they need financial support to pay for higher education. Consequently, the scholarships are designed to be integral in supporting opportunities to move to higher education levels. Students are selected in collaboration with schools in local communities and local authorities and municipalities who choose qualified students. A selected number of qualified primary school students who have good academic records with a GPA over 3.0 will receive a “Namjai Thai Asia Scholarship” that supports their education as they move through higher levels.
“We believe that education support for youth is an important part of today’s sustainable social development. It’s not short term – we’re providing educational support until the students complete their higher education, such as acquiring a bachelor’s degree. We also do not ask the students to pay anything back as long as they achieve a significant GPA in every semester of their education and always show good manners and strong morals, as we hope all of them will become good citizens who will give back society by contributing their knowledge to the development of their community and country,” said Mr. Lee.
Mr. Pairat Chanhom, District Chief Officer of Sai Noi district, said, “I’m very glad to see the private sector supporting community development in Sai Noi district. We all know that education is an integral part of community development, while the Sai Noi community needs educational support. The scholarships that TAP has awarded for five consecutive years have helped young students in the community achieve their educational goals, so that in the future they develop self-esteem, mature, and contribute to the development of their communities.”
Ms. Nassarin India, a Grade 6 student from Sorlae Suksa School, said, “I’ve received the scholarship for three consecutive years, so I’m very thankful to TAP for giving me significant educational opportunities. Most students at the Islamic school attend religious classes after school hours, so I don’t have a chance to help my parents by doing daily household chores. Three years ago when my mother found out about this scholarship, I knew that I had to grab this chance to obtain the scholarship as a way to help my parents. I hope to become a teacher so that I can help other kids to learn in the future.”
Mr. Piyangkul Vechapan, a Grade 8 student from Sai Noi School, said, “I have to thank TAP for offering me this scholarship over the past five years. Five years ago when my mother learned about the scholarship from our local municipality, I received it for the first time. The scholarship became a driving force for me to be an enthusiastic student in my classes so that I could receive additional scholarships as I moved up through higher education levels. I promise to prepare diligently for my classes so that I can pursue higher studies in medicine. At the end of the day, I want to be a doctor to help people.”
Ms. Krissana Suwannahong, a 4th-year student at Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, said, “I’m so glad to receive this scholarship for four years in a row. This year is my last time. After graduation, I want to work as a graphic designer. I’m very thankful to TAP for bringing me to where I am today and I promise to do great at work and be a good person in society.”
“All TAP employees are very grateful to the community and Thai society, as both have played a major part in our success in business for over 20 years. We are happy to give back something to society through our socially-driven programs that include the ‘Namjai Thai Asia Scholarship’ program, as we believe that providing young people with educational support not only gives them future opportunities, but also will benefit the country in terms of social and economic development. We hope that the kids who receive our scholarships will become a driving force in improving the country’s future competitiveness. We are committed to continually initiating a variety of social responsibility programs and activities as Thailand is a place that we consider home,” concluded Mr. Lee.