LOCAI BUSINESS MANAGEMENT UNDER THAILAND 4.0 ROADMAP A CASE STUDY OF BAHNNALING SEMI-MILLED RICE FARMERS GROUP AT KUANSO, KUANNIENG DISTRICT, SONGKHLA PROVINCE

Abstract

This research studied how a group of Bahnnaling semi-milled rice farmers conducted their local business managementunderThailand4.0 roadmap. Therefore, the research focused on semi-milled rice farmers group living in Bahnnaling Kuanso, Kuannieng district, Songkhla province as a case study. This particular study aimed to 1) study philosophy, ways of thinking, and visions of Bahnnaling semi-milled rice farmers, living in the community, particularly, in doing their business 2) study the factors that may affect the group’s prosperity and sustainability 3) investigate how the semi-milled rice farmers’ group cope with their business risks that might occur when doing business and how they tackle problems and obstacles 4) observe how the group adapted themselves to Thailand 4.0 policy. The samples used in this research study were Bahnnaling committee and 20 members of the group. In-depth interview and descriptive information were implemented as tools to answer the research questions. The research found that Bahnnaling semi-milled rice farmers group had firstly been exploited by the middlemen buying the paddy. Thus, the members of the group attempted to protect themselves from this problem. Presently, there are 35 members all together. The main factors that helped creating community’ prosperity and sustainability were the using of local materials, adopting local wisdom of growing rice, and the supports from government agencies. The obstacles and limitations the group faced were that the milled-rice could not be kept long as they were not contaminated, the poor packages of the rice were easily damaged during transportations, and there were measly demands of semi-milled rice from the markets. Bahnnaling semi-milled rice farmers group learned to adapt themselves according to the Thailand 4.0 policy by becoming the producers themselves starting from learning local wisdom on how the previous generations had grown their own rice and then developed their ways to become productive farmers. Instead of growing rice solely to sell paddy to the mill, Bahnnaling semi-milled rice farmers adapted themselves to become producers and learn to process their rice to new products in order to increase their product values.