Macdonald, a native of Birmingham, received the award for “services to British business interests in Thailand”, according to a statement issued by the company.
Macdonald expressed “pride and satisfaction” at being named to receive an MBE, but was quick to thank the “colleagues, friends and vast legion of people” who, he said, had provided “outstanding support” of his efforts on behalf of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) and the MBMG Group in particular.
“I like to think that my nomination reflects a job well done not so much by Graham Macdonald, but by the dedicated, hard-working and highly capable exceptional individuals at the BCCT and MBMG Group,” he added.
Macdonald is expected to travel to the UK later this year to pick up his award from the Queen.
Others who were named to receive gongs in this year’s honours list include Hector Sants, the former head of the Financial Services Authority, who was given a knighthood, and numerous British athletes, many of whom participated in the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Bert Elson, secretary of the Royal British Legion Thailand, an organisation with which Macdonald is also involved, received a British Empire Medal.
Co-founded MBMG in 1995
Macdonald was educated at Repton School and the University of Bradford, and since 1994 has been based in Thailand, where he currently operates out of both Bangkok and Pattaya. He co-founded MBMG with Paul Gambles, the firm’s managing partner, in 1995.
During his 18 years in Thailand, he has been active in a variety of charitable and business activities, including the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand Eastern Seaboard, of which he was the founding chairman in 1997; he later served on the main BCCT board from 1998 to 2012, in addition to heading up its charity group for three of those years.
Macdonald is currently president of the South African Thai Chamber of Commerce, and since April 2011, has been a director of the Board of Trade of Thailand.
Other interests include such charities as Care for Kids; the Lighthouse Club; a wine distribution business called World of Wine, which gives its profits to charities; and, as mentioned, the Royal British Legion Thailand, which helps Thai veterans in hospital.
