Thailand’s 50 Super-Rich Own $84B
Forbes Asia on July 3 came out with the newest “Top 50 richest list” on Thailand, and it can be seen that the tycoons got richer and richer over the past year. Altogether, Thailand’s 50 richest now have a net worth of $84 billion, equivalent to one quarter of the nation’s GDP.
Of the amount, Dhanin and his family hold the biggest share of $12.6 billion from the business of their CP All conglomerate, which covers everything from retail, property, telecommunication and finance. CP All is the world’s third biggest operator of 7-Eleven stores, and recently got approval to acquire discount retailer Siam Makro. It also bought a 15 per cent controlling stake in Ping An Insurance in the biggest-ever foreign acquisition of a Chinese company. The Chearavanont family’s wealth jumped $3.6 billion to $12.6 billion in 2013.
Second on the list is the Chirathivat family, with a net worth of $12.3 billion, who owns shopping malls and hotels. Third comes Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi (net worth $10.6 billion), the owner of Thai Beverage, the country’s largest brewer. Sirivadhanabhakdi in 2012 paid $11 billion for control of Singapore’s beverage and property company Fraser & Neave. His private property arm, TCC Land, is the largest owner of Marriott Hotels in Asia-Pacific as well as holder of Bangkok’s famous tech-mall Pantip Plaza and Hotel Plaza Athénée in Manhattan.
Top gainer on the list was Vichai “King Power” Srivaddhanaprabha, whose duty-free airport stores and retail shops are bustling, with group sales up 35 per cent in 2012. He jumping to rank 11 on the rich list from 37 in 2011, with wealth of $1.6 billion.
Other tycoons who gained include Nijaporn Charanachitta and Premchai Karnasuta (Nrank 37, $405 million), who have a stake in Onyx Hospitality, and William Heinecke (rankm 20, $1 billion), the nation’s biggest hotel operator, who became a billionaire in May 2013.
The magazine said that most of the super-rich benefited from an upswing in tourism and retail, as well as from the latest surge in stock market. One big beneficiary was transport tycoon Keeree Kanjanapas whose BTS Group Holdings led Asia’s largest IPO of 2013 in April, with Kanjanapas moving into the billionaire ranks.
Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was another lucky winner in 2012. Thai authorities returned him $1 billion of his $2.3 billion in frozen assets, putting his net worth now at an estimated $1.7 billion.
1 Dhanin Chearavanont & family $12,600 M
2 Chirathivat family $12,300 M
3 Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi $10,600 M
4 Yoovidhya family $7,800 M
5 Krit Ratanarak $3,900 M
6 Chamnong Bhirombhakdi & family $2,400 M
7 Vanich Chaiyawan $2,100 M
8 Vichai Maleenont & family $2,000 M
9 Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth $1,800 M
10 Thaksin Shinawatra & family $1,700 M
11 Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha $1,600 M
12 Boonchai Bencharongkul & family $1,350 M
13 Phornthep Phornprapha $1,300 M
14 Thongma Vijitpongpun $1,250 M
15 Keeree Kanjanapas $1,200 M
16 Prayudh Mahagitsiri & family $1,150 M
17 Wichai Thongthang $1,100 M
18 Anant Asavabhokin $1,080 M
19 Praneetsilpa Vacharaphol & family $1,050 M
20 William Heinecke $1,000 M
21 Surang Prempree $930 M
22 Aloke Lohia $915 M
23 Isara Vongkusolkit & family $910 M
24 Pete Bodharamik $860 M
25 Somporn Juangroongruangkit & family $750 M
26 Sunsurn Jurangkool $715 M
27 Witoon Suriyawanakul $700 M
28 Petch & Ratch Osathanugrah $630 M
29 Viddayakorn Pongsak $600 M
30 Niti Osathanugrah $575 M
31 Chalerm Yoovidhya $550 M
32 Kraisorn Chansiri & family $545 M
33 Somyos and Jareeporn Anantaprayoon $525 M
34 Chamroon Chinthammit $510 M
35 Vicha Poolvaraluck $480 M
36 Plew Trivisvavet $460 M
37 Nijaporn Charanachitta & Premchai Karnasuta $405 M
38 Nishita Shah Federbush & family $380 M
39 Watchai Vilailuck $370 M
40 Somphote Ahunai $330 M
41 Chalerm Harnphanich $325 M
42 Roongroj Saengsastra $320 M
43 Wandee Khunchornyakong $300 M
44 Tassapon Bijleveld $290 M
45 Prachai Leophairatana & family $270 M
46 Porndee Leeissaranukul $265 M
47 Prateep Tangmatitham $260 M
48 Worawit Weeraborwornpong $215 M
49 Anant Kanjanapas $210 M
50 Virot Thanalongkorn $200 M
This article was originally published by Investine. Read the original article.
View the list on Forbes:
Thailand’s 50 Richest
Thailand’s 50 Richest 2017: Forbes Asia ranks Thailand’s wealthiest business people.