Siam Piwat embeds green rules across Bangkok mall tenants

Post-pandemic demand is driving a shift toward more responsible consumption.

Thai mall operator Siam Piwat Company Ltd. is tightening sustainability rules across tenant operations at Siam Paragon in central Bangkok, with more than 50 retail partners now aligned on standards covering sourcing, energy use, and waste management.

“Sustainability has long been part of Siam Piwat’s DNA and is now essential to the future of global retail destinations,” CEO Chadatip Chutrakul told Retail Asia.

She said Siam Paragon, which draws more than 200,000 visitors daily, treats sustainability as a core operating model rather than a separate programme, and applies it across the zone.

Chadatip said retail partners are increasingly meeting stricter environmental standards, driven by the post-pandemic demand for more responsible consumption.

“Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and social impact of their purchasing decisions, with many willing to pay a premium for products and experiences that are environmentally and socially responsible,” she said in an emailed reply to questions.

She added that it is being positioned as a value driver rather than a cost, with tenants expected to meet shared targets.

A key part of the strategy is NEXTOPIA, a prototype retail platform designed to put the model into practice in a commercial setting and test retail formats linked to environmental and social outcomes.

NEXTOPIA combines retail, food and beverage, and community space, allowing tenants to showcase green products whilst joining initiatives linked to clean energy, circular practices, and resource use.

The project was developed with partners including B.Grimm Power Public Company Ltd., The Siam Cement Public Company Ltd., Indorama Ventures Public Company Ltd., and Kasikornbank Public Company Ltd.

Chadatip said tenant engagement is maintained through campaigns, training, and joint work to standardise practices across the network. She added that the model is still evolving, with no fixed blueprint for results or scale.

“No one has a clear picture yet of what this model will ultimately look like or what the outcomes will be,” she said.

Chadatip added that ECOTOPIA, which features more than 110,000 recycled and upcycled Thai products from more than 800 small businesses, expands the system by linking it to local supply chains.

She said the approach could be used in other markets where circular systems are more developed, positioning Thailand as a test bed for retail models built around green operations.