Living the sufficiency economy philosophy: A study of Thai business decision makers

This study aimed to explore the practical knowledge and experiences of nine hotel owners and managers located in Thailand who chose to apply the principles of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP) in their businesses. SEP, a philosophy that presents an alternative to Western approaches to sustainability, was developed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the king of Thailand, from his experiences working with farming families in rural areas in Thailand. SEP was developed with the expectation that it would provide a key tool for Thai people to manage both internal and external forces resulting from globalization. The core of SEP is the Buddhist teaching of a middle path, which means a path of moderation. SEP has been implemented in both small and medium size (SMEs) businesses and communities in Thailand.;The implication of this study is that relying on oneself and living in the middle path can lead to sustainability. It shows how people can manage their businesses without relying on Western assumptions and models, instead turning to the principles of SEP that were developed in a Thai cultural context.;This study was based on in-depth interviews which were analyzed thematically together with the data from my observations, as researcher. Through implementing SEP within their hotels, the participants grew in their understanding. They learned that relying on oneself is key in implementing SEP. They made their own household products, grew vegetables and fruits, and used organic fertilizer and pesticide. They reported that working with SEP changed them; they felt a sense of gratification and that they were heading in the right direction.;The participants also used their hotels as models for the Thai people, so they could see how to live life by implementing SEP. The participants hoped that people would begin to rely more on themselves by practicing more self-sustaining activities once they learned about SEP. The participants were also interested in restoring Thai culture and believed what they were doing would improve their country.