On 12 December 2025, Mrs. Prakairatana Thontiravong, President of the Institute for Education and Development of Conflict Management by Peaceful Means Foundation (I.D.P.), former National Human Rights Commissioner, and former Acting Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, was invited to deliver a keynote address and participate in the official opening ceremony of the BAM Remedy Center, established by Bangkok Commercial Asset Management Public Company Limited (BAM).
Mrs. Prakairatana Thontiravong also served as Chair of the Working Group on Advancing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and Sustainable Development under the third composition of the National Human Rights Commission. In her keynote speech, she emphasized the practical implementation of Pillar III, Access to Remedy, of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, highlighting the importance of establishing effective, accessible, and rights-based grievance and remediation mechanisms within the private sector.
The BAM Remedy Center was established in line with Pillar III of the UNGPs and integrates international human rights standards into BAM’s operational framework. The Center aims to ensure that all stakeholders affected by the company’s business activities, including customers, business partners, employees, and members of the public, can access effective grievance-handling and remedy mechanisms in a transparent and equitable manner.
The establishment of the BAM Remedy Center is considered a pioneering initiative in Thailand and may be regarded as the first remedy center formally structured in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. As BAM is a network partner of the I.D.P. Foundation, the Center was developed under the guidance and recommendations of Mrs. Prakairatana Thontiravong, who has played a key role in advancing the UNGPs from policy commitment to concrete implementation.
Mrs. Prakairatana Thontiravong has been instrumental in promoting the UNGPs across all three pillars in Thailand.
Under Pillar I, Protect, she supported collaboration between the public and private sectors, leading to the joint signing of a declaration on advancing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Thailand by representatives of the business community and key government ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Commerce. These efforts also contributed to the development and adoption of Thailand’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP). Thailand subsequently received international recognition from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as the first country in Asia to officially implement a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
Under Pillar II, Respect, she supported initiatives to strengthen corporate responsibility for human rights, including cooperation with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) to promote sustainability reporting among listed companies through the annual Form 56-1 One Report. This reporting framework incorporates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and requires companies to conduct comprehensive Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) to identify, assess, and manage human rights risks throughout their business operations.
The launch of the BAM Remedy Center represents a significant milestone in advancing business and human rights in Thailand and demonstrates how international principles can be translated into practical, institution-based mechanisms that promote accountability, access to remedy, and sustainable development.
Chair of the Board, Members of the Board, and Executive Management of Bangkok Commercial Asset Management Public Company Limited,
Prakairatana Thontiravong (12.12.2025)
Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
Representatives of the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, Ministry of Justice,
Representatives of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand,
Distinguished guests, members of the media, ladies and gentlemen,
Since 2017, Thailand has been actively advancing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in accordance with the UN framework, which is structured around three pillars.
Under Pillar I, the State Duty to Protect, Thailand has achieved notable progress. The country has received commendation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for being the first country in the Asia region to officially adopt a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP).
With regard to Pillar II, the Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights, Thailand has also made significant advancements. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) has promoted enhanced sustainability reporting among listed companies through the revised Form 56-1 One Report, which requires disclosure of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) information and mandates comprehensive Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) by the business sector.
However, when it comes to Pillar III, Access to Remedy, which assigns responsibility jointly to the State and the business sector to ensure that individuals affected by business activities have access to effective remedy, implementation has remained limited. This pillar establishes three types of remedy mechanisms:
first, judicial mechanisms;
second, state-based non-judicial grievance mechanisms; and
third, non-state grievance mechanisms operated by the business sector.
To date, Thailand has not seen a concrete and systematic implementation of Pillar III, Access to Remedy, by the business sector.
Therefore, the opening of the BAM Remedy Center today represents a highly significant milestone. It sends a clear signal that Thailand’s business sector has now taken concrete steps to implement Pillar III of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in practice. It may be said that Bangkok Commercial Asset Management Public Company Limited is among the first companies in Thailand to take such a step.
In my capacity as a former National Human Rights Commissioner, former Acting Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, and Chair of the Working Group on Advancing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and Sustainable Development during the third composition of the Commission, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the vision and leadership of Ms. Thongurai Limpiti, Chair of the Board, and Dr. Rak Worrakitphokatorn, Chief Executive Officer.
Their recognition of the importance of implementing the third pillar of the UN Guiding Principles, Access to Remedy, and their commitment to establishing the BAM Remedy Center, demonstrate genuine leadership and responsibility.
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on the official opening of the BAM Remedy Center. I sincerely hope that this Center will serve as a reliable source of support for customers, business partners, employees, and members of the public, enabling them to access effective, fair, and satisfactory remedies.
Finally, I hope that this BAM Remedy Center will serve as a model and source of inspiration for other companies in Thailand, encouraging them to recognize the importance of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and to implement Pillar III, Access to Remedy, in a concrete and meaningful manner, just as Bangkok Commercial Asset Management Public Company Limited has done today.
Thank you very much.