Premchai Karnasuta

Premchai Karnasuta runs Italian-Thai Development (http://www.itd.co.th/), Thailand’s largest construction firm co-founded by his father, Dr. Chaijudh Karnasuta, in 1958.
Premchai was born on March 9, 1954. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mining Engineering from Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, USA in 1977 and obtained a MBA from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California in 1979.

In 1979, he joined the management team of Italian-Thai Development Corporation Limited (ITD). Subsequently, he became the Managing Director and President in 1983 and 1986.

Among ITD’s major projects include the new Bangkok International Airport, the Bangkok underground and overhead mass transit systems, and elevated expressways. The firm also constructs dams, tunnels, power plants, pipelines and utility works.

ITD was co-founded by his father, an ethnic Chinese with Mr. Georgio Berlingieri, an Italian. The two first worked together in the salvaging of five ships which sunk in the Chao Phraya river. Then they initially set up a small oxygen plant to supply oxygen to the salvage operation industry. In 1958, Dr. Chaijudh asked Mr. Berlingieri to join him in forming their own construction company that they aptly called Italian-Thai Development Company Limited.

Premchai enjoys traveling, deep sea fishing, and scuba-diving on his free time.

Sources:

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/85/biz_thairichest08_Premchai-Karnasuta_TTTS.html
http://www.itd.co.th/en/company.php