Twenty-two charitable foundations have launched an auction for 22 Royal Limited Edition Leica cameras, M10-P, to help those in need.
The foundations held a press conference on Wednesday at the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok to announce the bidding.
The limited-edition-camera campaign was based on an initiative by Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, the CEO of ThaiBev, Thailand's largest beverage company, said Nitikorn Kraiwichien, head of the Thailand Photography Promotion Foundation.
Mr Thapana, who also served as a former president of the Thailand Photography Association, saw the campaign as a way of celebrating the Royal Coronation of King Vajiralongkorn, said Mr Nitikorn. He said 30 units were produced: 10 yellow cameras each priced at 1,500,000 baht, and 20 green cameras worth one million baht each. Of those, six were given to the Royal Family, while two were stored away -- one in ThaiBev's museum and the other in Leica's museum.
"We originally had these cameras made to sell to the public, with the idea of giving the money to the King so he could use it for his charitable donations," Mr Nitikorn said. "But there was so much demand for them that Mr Thapana decided to make a bigger contribution to society by buying all the remaining 22 cameras and donating them to 22 charitable foundations including the National Kidney Foundation Singapore."
He said ThaiBev also sought permission to inscribe the Royal Coronation Emblem on them. Bidders must register with Christie's Thailand, an auction house, at least one week before the event on Sept 30 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre while one camera will be auction in Singapore.
