Boonsithi Chokwatana is the Chairman of Saha Group, Thailand's leading consumer products conglomerate. This is part 17 of a 30-part series .

In the 1970s the Saha Group made great progress. Daily goods like detergents and shampoos were selling well, and the company expanded its operations to include clothing and food products. Our focus on advertising and publicity contributed to Thailand's consumption boom, and the creation of the holding company put a management structure in place to support future growth.

But the 1970s was also a time of great upheaval in Thai society.

One of the major turning points was the Oct. 14 Event of 1973. Although an urban middle class had emerged thanks to the country's economic growth, its dissatisfaction with the military-led Thanom Kittikachorn government was growing.

On Oct. 14, security forces opened fire on 400,000 students and citizens who had gathered at "Sanam Luang" around the Grand Palace, Thammasat University and many other places in Bangkok to protest for democracy. The tragedy left 77 dead, according to the government. The situation was brought under control when King Bhumibol Adulyadej ordered the regime to step down.

The growing demand for democracy also sparked an anti-Japan movement. There were widespread protests against Japanese companies, which had moved into the country in response to the military government's effort to attract foreign investment and were taking advantage of Thai workers at low wages. When Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka made a state visit to Thailand in January 1974, there were disturbances outside his lodgings as demonstrators protested Japan's "economic invasion."

To compound matters, the oil shock triggered by the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East came at the same time. Prices skyrocketed while Thailand's minimum wage was 12 baht a day. It was right around this time that "Bao Boon Jin," a television drama my father imported from Taiwan, became a hit. It resonated with those who were seeking fairness and justice.

A movement to boycott Japanese goods gained force, targeting major brands like Ajinomoto, Kao and Panasonic. Saha already had formed partnerships with many Japanese companies, but we fortunately were not targeted by the boycott. Lion, Pias, Wacoal and some other brands still were only loosely associated with Japan, and Saha was the one that ran the joint ventures.

Even so, we wondered when the public's ire would turn to us. At the time, Japanese companies were just beginning to expand overseas. Rather than putting down roots in Thailand, it was easy to see that they wanted to recover their investment as quickly as possible, and the personnel they dispatched were eager to go back to Japan. As a result, there was little sense of what we now call corporate social responsibility.

As a devoutly Buddhist country, Thailand has always had a deep-rooted tambun culture, which prizes the accumulation of virtue through good deeds.

"From now on it will be important to contribute to society," I advised our Japanese partners.

They were reluctant at first, but with time they came to understand my thinking. For example, our joint venture with Lion started and continues to donate its products to schools while educating students on how to wash their hands and brush their teeth.

I was lost in reflection as I watched the turmoil that enveloped Thai society. People had lost faith in the government, as symbolized by the Oct. 14 Event and the anti-Japan movement. There were many strikes for better working conditions, and many companies were struggling with labor issues.

This was partly because too many facilities were concentrated in Bangkok. Looking overseas, there are few instances where all company headquarters and factories are located in one city.

Sooner or later, factories will need to move to more rural areas. We thought that we should prepare for this ourselves. In the back of my mind, an idea for a completely new business began to take root: the development and operation of an industrial park.

This column is part of The Nikkei's "My Personal History" ("Watashi no Rirekisho") series of autobiographies. The series first appeared in The Nikkei in 1956. Since then, a wide variety of world-changing individuals have written or dictated their life stories for publication.