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| Citi Foundation grants form a significant part of Citi's community investment in Asia Pacifiic. |
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| Citi Thailand focuses on community development, youth education, financial education, and employee volunteerism |
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| Business Presence |
Citi opened an office in Thailand in 1967 and obtained a full banking licence in 1985. Citi is Thailand's largest and most diversified foreign bank, offering a full range of banking services across consumer, corporate, investment and private banking. Citi has one branch in Bangkok with nearly 2,600 employees.
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| Citizenship History |
Since 2000, Citi Thailand has given 53.5 million baht (US$1.4 million) in grants to support a variety of community development programmes, and also regularly undertakes cause-related marketing campaigns to raise funds for charitable organisations.
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In partnership with Habitat for Humanity Thailand www.habitatthailand.org, Citi has built 35 houses for underprivileged families since 2002, and Citi Thailand employees accumulated 555 volunteer slots to help build these houses.
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Since 2002, Citi Thailand has helped 200 low-income students to further their education from secondary school through to college level by providing scholarships and
organising youth development camps together with the National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand www.ncswt.or.th. |
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Citi Thailand donated 7 million baht (US$150,000) to tsunami relief and reconstruction activities in Thailand implemented through the Thai Red Cross www.redcross.or.th and the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation www.rajaprajanugroh.org.
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| Leading by example - Citibank Ready Credit |
| One Citi Thailand business that embedded community activities into its operations in 2007 was Citibank Ready Credit. Starting with the "Make a Wish" marketing campaign in late 2006, three lesser-known charities gained more visibility and support, and Ready Credit customers had the chance to vote which of them would receive a larger donation. The three charities were: |
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Baan Kru Noi www.moobankru.com, a centre for 128 underprivileged children aged between 6-18 years.
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Prabaht Nampu Temple www.phrabatnampu.com, a shelter for approximately 2,000 people living with HIV/AIDS and no family support. |
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The Home for Handicapped Animals www.home4animals.org, a home for hundreds of abandoned, abused and sick animals.
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Citibank invited the charities and Ready Credit customers to a special ceremony in February 2007 at which Baan Kru Noi was presented with a 300,000 baht (US$9,000) donation from Citibank for receiving the highest number of customer votes. The other two charities also received 100,000 baht (US$3,000) each.
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| Located in central Bangkok, Baan Kru Noi has provided care and shelter, as well as access to education for close to 800 children since it opened in 1980. Baan Kru Noi founder, Nualnoi Timkul, said, "We have fixed monthly expenses of 140,000 baht (US$4,200) and normally we only receive donations of 90,000 baht (US$2,700) per month. Therefore, this donation from Citibank Ready Credit will help us a great deal, and part of it will be used to provide scholarships for the children. I'm glad we are being recognised by a big business even though our charity is a small one in Thai society." |
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| Afterwards, Citi Thailand organised an outing for 60 children from Baan Kru Noi to visit Siam Ocean World hosted by Citi volunteers as well as local television celebrity, "Aon" Sarawut Martthong. |
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| The success of "Make a Wish" inspired Citibank Ready Credit to embark on another project in the Suanplu slum community, located near Citi's Bangkok office. The team partnered with the Sikka Asia Foundation (SAF) www.sikkha.or.th to open a toy library and learning centre with a 308,000 baht (US$9,400) donation. |
| This forms an important part of SAF's Suanplu kindergarten, which is being rebuilt following a major fire in 2004, and serves up to 1,500 children from Suanplu. |
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| At the official launch, Arunee Promma, Secretary General, SAF, said, "Many underprivileged children will improve their educational and social development through the Citi Toy Library." More than 30 Citi volunteers visited the toy library and played games with the children. Duangyok Charoenboon, a member of the Ready Credit marketing team, has since become a regular volunteer and donates a percentage of her salary to support a child there. |
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In 2008, Citibank Ready Credit plans to develop more community initiatives, including opening another library with SAF.
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The Citi Ready Credit team and Arunee Promma, Secretary General, Sikka Asia Foundation, play with children from the Suanplu slum community at the new Citi Toy Library
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| For more information about Citi Thailand and its citizenship activities, please go to: www.citibank.co.th |
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