Charoen
Sirivadhanabhakdi Charoen, a Thai merchant of Chinese ancestry, is a son of a fried-mussel-pancake street vendor in Bangkok. He founded Thai Beverage (http://www.thaibev.com/) in October 2003 through the merger of 58 companies involved in alcohol businesses. The Group now has 63 subsidiaries and owns 16 distilleries, three breweries, and a factory for industrial alcohol. Charoen’s Thai Beverage is also the maker of Mekhong whiskey, also a top seller in Thailand. Thai Beverage has as much as 60% of the country’s beer market and 74% of its spirits market. On the properties front, Charoen owns the Kalae Shopping Center in Chiang Mai, Plaza Athenees in New York City and Bangkok among several others. Sources: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/85/biz_thairichest08_Charoen-Sirivadhanabhakdi_A5FA.html Photo credits: http://www.apacnews.net/newsages1_2007/ts_ss336.htm  |
Chang Beer, Thailand’s favorite beer, made Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi
one of Thailand’s richest men.