Thai Mind Awards 2026 Highlights Best Practices in Building Mentally Healthy Organizations 

The Faculty of Psychology at Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Institute for Mental Health Sustainability (TIMS) and with support from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth or สสส.), held the announcement and awarding ceremony for the “Top Organizations Promoting Mental Well-Being” (Thai Mind Awards)—2nd edition. The event recognizes organizations that have played outstanding roles in promoting the mental well-being of their personnel while providing a platform for exchanging knowledge and best practices in creating sustainable work environments that support mental health. 

The award ceremony took place on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Meeting Room 1, Office of Academic Resources, Chulalongkorn University. 

Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, delivered the opening remarks. Dr. Pongtep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Manager of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), spoke about the importance of building support systems for the mental well-being of personnel in Thai organizations. Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda Taephant, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology at Chulalongkorn University, presented an overview of the project and the collaboration between ThaiHealth and Chula in developing sustainable well-being for workers. The awards were then presented by Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, and Dr. Pongtep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Manager of ThaiHealth. 

In the afternoon, there was a panel discussion and experience-sharing session on “Best Practices in Promoting Mental Well-Being in Organizations.” Representatives from organizations that previously received the Thai Mind Awards shared their experiences and approaches to developing work environments that support employees’ mental health. Examples included Western Digital Storage Technologies (Prachinburi branch) and Pet Friends Animal Hospital (Sri Racha branch). Faculty members from Chula’s Faculty of Psychology—Asst. Prof. Dr. Prapimpa Jarunratanakul, Asst. Prof. Dr. Thipnapa Huansuriya, and Dr. Jennifer Chavanovanich—shared knowledge and guidelines for systematically developing organizations that prioritize employees’ mental well-being. The session was moderated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Yokfah Isaranon, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Psychology at Chula. 

Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, emphasized the importance of the Thai Mind Awards project, stating that improving people’s quality of life cannot focus solely on physical health but must also prioritize mental well-being—especially in the work context, where people spend a significant portion of their day in organizations. Therefore, organizations play a crucial role in creating work environments that foster happiness and good mental health for employees. 

The Chula President added that the Thai Mind Awards aim to encourage organizations to take mental health care for employees seriously and to honor those with concrete management approaches and work environments that promote employees’ mental well-being. The Thai Mind Awards platform is not just about giving awards but also serves as a space for learning and exchanging experiences among organizations, disseminating good practices in mental well-being care, and creating models for people-centered organizational development. This will lead to happier workplaces and long-term improvements in the quality of life for Thais. 

According to Dr. Pongtep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Manager of ThaiHealth, mental health issues among working-age people are a critical concern that must be seriously addressed. Studies show that approximately 11% of workers aged 20–59 experience high stress levels, with the figure rising to 28% in the 20–29 age group—indicating that much of this stress stems from competitive and high-pressure work contexts and systems. 

He further noted that individuals vary in their psychological capital or ability to cope with stress. Creating positive, psychologically safe work environments is therefore a key factor in helping employees manage work pressures appropriately. Organizations should prioritize mental well-being care, listening, and fostering supportive rather than overly competitive work cultures. The Thai Mind Awards serve as an important mechanism to encourage organizations to focus on employees’ mental health and to honor those creating mentally supportive work environments. If organizations can sustainably build systems that promote mental well-being, it will not only enhance organizational performance but also contribute to the happiness of families, communities, and society as a whole—leading to long-term improvements in quality of life and sustainable national development. 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda Taephant, Dean of Chula’s Faculty of Psychology, stated that the project aims to translate psychological knowledge and academic work on well-being into practical guidelines that organizations can use to care for their personnel, while promoting work ecosystems that support mental health. In 2026, more than 50 organizations from various sectors participated. They underwent evaluation and selection based on the GRACE Model framework to identify exemplary organizations with concrete approaches to promoting employees’ mental well-being, along with extracting lessons and sharing knowledge. However, the Thai Mind Awards platform is not solely focused on awards; it is an important space for building networks of organizations that collaboratively develop human-valued work systems, promote psychological safety in the workplace, and jointly elevate the mental well-being of personnel and Thai society in the long term. This second Thai Mind Awards ceremony will serve as a space for learning, inspiration, and building on good ideas to create even stronger mentally healthy work societies. 

The “Thai Mind Awards” project arises from the collaboration between Chula’s Faculty of Psychology and TIMS, supported by ThaiHealth. They have jointly researched and developed criteria for selecting outstanding organizations in promoting mental well-being to identify and celebrate exemplary models for employee mental health promotion. The assessment uses five dimensions under the “GRACE” framework: 

• G – Growth & Development: Supporting employees’ growth and development. 
• R – Recognition: Acknowledging and recognizing employees’ abilities and achievements. 
• A – All for Inclusion: Emphasizing employee participation in decision-making. 
• C – Care for Health & Safety: Caring for employees’ health and safety. 
• E—Work-life Enrichment: Policies for work-life balance. 

In 2026, the Thai Mind Awards were presented to 9 exemplary organizations in mental well-being within organizations, consisting of 4 Excellence in Thai Mind Awards (top organizations promoting mental well-being) and the Honorable Mention Awards for 5 organizations excelling in various dimensions of the GRACE framework, which is the key concept for developing mental well-being in organizations. 

4 Top Organizations Promoting Mental Well-Being (The Excellence in Thai Mind Awards): 

1. AIA Thailand 
2. B. Grimm Power Public Company Limited 
3. Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group 
4. Park Hyatt Bangkok 

5 Organizations Receiving Special Recognition (The Honorable Mention Awards) in Various GRACE Dimensions: 

1. Provincial Electricity Authority—in the Growth and Development dimension
2. Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. – in the Care for Health and Safety and All for Inclusion dimensions. 
3. Pandora Production Co., Ltd. – in the Care for Health and Safety dimension 
4. PTG Energy Public Company Limited – in the Good Initiative for GRACE Model dimension 
5. Samut Prakan Child and Youth Training Center—in the Care for Health and Safety dimension 

The Thai Mind Awards 2026 represents another important step in the collaboration between academia, public health agencies, and various sectors to drive organizational cultures that prioritize employees’ mental health while building networks for sustainable promotion of mental well-being in organizations. This aims to elevate the quality of life for Thai workers and create work societies that support happiness and life balance in the long term. 

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