TUF Extends Educational Opportunities with the Opening of the Second TUF Child Care Center in Samut Sakhon - Expanding to Five Centers by 2016

Caption (from left) Mr. Rittirong Boonmechote TUF-Managing Director - Shrimp Product Line, Police Lieutenant ArthitBoonyasopat, Governor of Samut Sakhon province, Mr. Thiraphong Chansiri TUF President & CEO, Mr. Sompong Srakaew, Director of Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation (LPN)

Recently, Bangkok- Thai Union Frozen Products PCL (TUF) the world's seafood expert and owner of the world'srenowned tuna brands,is expanding educational opportunities with the opening of thesecond TUF Child Care Center at Wat Siri Mongkol School, Samut Sakhon province. The facility offers basic preparatory and primary educationequally to Thai and foreign children in Samut Sakhon province and prepare students for admission into the Thai formal education system in the later years.

The TUF Child Care Center is a realization of our business sustainability concept "We Can, We Care, We Connect"into practice by drawing on our business capacity to promote economic, social and environmental development in contribution to overall sustainability of Thai society.

Genuine sustainability can result from the cooperation of all relevant parties. TUF Child Care Centersets a great example of such distinguished collaboration - a programme jointly founded by TUF, Labour Right Promotion Network (LPN Foundation) and the two pilot schools in Samut Sakhon province. The goal is to provide accessibility in early education as well as to protect and to care for the children of Thai and migrant workers in the community of Samut Sakhon province in accordance with international human rights principles. The first TUF Child Care Center was founded in 2013 at Wat Sri Suttharam School which is currently caring for over 200 children. The second center is located at Wat Sri Mongkol School to expand the education opportunities to marginalized children. TUF aims to open a total of five child care centers by 2016 as part of a pilot programme to admit over 700 Thai and migrant children in the vicinity to the Samut Sakhon community. These children shall receive quality preparatory education including introduction to Thai language, culture, customs and social disciplines as foundation. The programme is budgeted at well over THB 10 million.

Mr. Thiraphong Chansiri, President and CEO of TUF said, "I would like to see Thailand move forwardswiftlyin the protection and promotion of human rights in general whether or not they are of children, marginalized communities or the general population. People must be free from threat and violation from any illegal trafficking syndicates either domestic or foreign.I am all in for the support of development policies that can drive progressive economic and social changes - for a more resilient Thailand which can stand tall and proud in the world community."

Mr. Rittirong Boonmechote, Managing Director of TUF Shrimp Business added "Today, our two child care centers are taking care of more than 200 hundred children. Apart from funding the construction of the facilities, TUF also supportsthe curricula from teaching and learning materials to various skill development activities such as mobile library to promote reading. At the same time, we internally communicate with our employees on the importance and benefits of education for their own children."

"What we have done so far reflect our commitment in promoting equal treatment for children of migrant workers in Samut Sakhon not only on the education aspect, but on human rights. Some might deem that welfare for migrant workers is a huge issue best left to the national level, but we believe that a motion has to be set in place and in concrete terms. We hope that the success of this programme will set precedent in the promotion of human rights throughout Thailand."

Mr. Rittirong concluded, "TUF is planning to establish three more child care centers within the next two years to cater to both children of Thai and migrant workers in Samut Sakhon province. This will provide the opportunity for the underprivileged children to receive quality education and teach thembasic cultural and customary norms and disciplines - apromising improvement in their quality of life."