Operation Smile Foundation Helps Children Smile

Operation Smile (Thailand) is a foundation supported by Mr. Chanintorn Tonawanid, Managing Director of Dusit International and all hotels under the Dusit brand. The mission of ‘Operation Smile’ is to help children who are in need of surgery because they were born with a cleft palate or lip or have grown tumors in areas that allow them not to be able to smile. The children who are taken under Operation Smile’s care are those that cannot afford to have the surgery due to fnancial problems. Operation Smile was created under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project of Dusit International with the purpose to help out the local community members in various ways.

Mr. Chanintorn said, “We recently helped our frst children in Chonburi, Kongpob Sumarn or ‘Nong Singto’ aged three months old who was born with complicated facial disabilities. He was hospitalized at Sirikit Hospital in Sattahip and was given facial surgery that will allow him to smile.”

Mr. Chanintorn along with Mrs. Natthasamon Kinun, Manager of Operation Smile (Thailand), Mr. Anocha Saisin, Assistant Manager of Human Resource Training and Development for Dusit International, Ms. Arum Chaisomsri, Assistant Manager of Human Resource Training and Development for Dusit Thani and Ms. Vanji Laozon, Marketing Manager for Dusit Thani Pattaya recently paid a visit to ‘Nong Singto’ and his parents at the hospital.

“I would like to thank Operation Smile (Thailand) for helping my son. I would also like to thank those who are behind the CSR project. I will keep posted about my sons’ health. Thank you for giving my son a new life,” said Nong Singto’s mother.

Operation Smile is one of the 25 foundations under the Operation Smile Inc. which have branches all over the world. It was started in America in 1982 by Dr. Bill Magee and his wife. They have helped more than 100,000 children all around the world. Operation Smile was established in Thailand nine years ago and has helped more than 5,000 children. Most of the surgery are conducted by professional doctors who volunteer to help these children without expecting anything in return.

Each surgery is usually 45 minutes long and costs about 15,000 baht. The money used in all of the surgeries was donated from the CSR project of Dusit International from hotels such as Dusit Thani Manila in the Philippines, Dusit Thani Lake Cairo, Egypt, Dusit Thani Dubai, Dusit Princess City Center, Dubai and Dusit Thani Pattaya.

Dusit International will continue to promote Operation Smile and make it reachable to all families across the country so that children and get the surgery they need and life a normal life.