Thailand’s startup scene may be young, but its chiefs are far from inexperienced.
The startup ecosystem in Thailand is growing, gaining support from the government and getting the attention of investors. And why not? It is the fastest growing market in e-commerce in the region and has a 147 per cent mobile penetration – such a connected community is an attractive market for digital and tech startups.
It’s not all smooth-sailing however, as Thailand can be challenging for startups, what with under-developed infrastructure, fierce competition, and the general growing-up pains of a young ecosystem. But this is what makes the country an exciting playground for disruptive tech and, if the previous years are an indication, startups are up to the challenge.
We thought we’d introduce you to some of the CEOs of these startups.
Amarit Charoenphan
The startup ecosystem in Thailand is very, very nascent, but is growing really quick.
Amarit Charoenphan is a prominent figure in Thailand’s startup ecosystem. As the co-founder and CEO of the country’s first co-working space HUBBA, which grew to be a major hub of startup activity in Thailand, Charoenphan had front-row seats to the developments and challenges of the country’s startups. A graduate of Thammasat University, Charoenphan has participated in Disrupt University, a learning hub for technology and innovation, and has organised and facilitated in various events such as the Startup Weekend Bangkok
Also read: My startup journey: Seven serious lessons I learnt from being a startup co-founder
Paul Srivorakul
When entrepreneurs do not start thinking bigger at every phase of their journey, they lose out what they already have.
Co-founder and group CEO of aCommerce, the leading full service end-to-end e-commerce solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Paul Srivorakul is a serial entrepreneur and investor in the region. A graduate of Anthropology at the University of California Berkeley, Srivorakul’s entrepreneurial journey in Thailand began after a stint in AskJeeves exposed him to the world of online search and advertising. Upon returning to Thailand, Srivorakul went on to build and successfully exit three startups, namely New Media, Admax Network, and Ensogo. Apart from aCommerce, Srivorakul has also founded Ardent Capital in which he currently serves as Chairman in an advisory capacity.
Cassandra Italia
We have a duty of care.
TopDocs Founder and CEO Cassandra Italia is a passionate advocate of proper patient care. A graduate of the University of Canberra, Italia has 9 years experience in the medical tourism industry and has worked at Bumrungrad International Hospital. TopDocs is an online platform for medical tourists to smoothly and safely plan their medical travel, with over a hundred doctors and facilities available in Thailand. Italia is also the Managing Director of Healthcare Hands, an international patient concierge service.
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Jerome Le Louer
It takes time to build something solid so patience, focus, and bit of luck will be required to make your dream come true.
Jerome Le Louer began his love affair with Thailand in 2007 fresh from a short stint as a Finance and Accounting manager in France; with a Masters degree in Finance from Audencia Business School, it is not surprising that his impressive resume leans heavily on finance. But one 2012 day, Le Louer and a group of beer enthusiast found themselves wishing for premium beer delivery in Thailand and, in a classic we-needed-it-so-we-made-it-happen story, built Wishbeer. Now, Wishbeer does home deliveries of 500 different types of beers and ciders from over 20 countries all over Thailand. Le Louer is also the co-founder of Plizz, an online accounting service platform for small and medium enterprises.
Thanawat Malabuppha
Focus on the users. Make sure you build the product that serves their needs.
Thanawat Malabuppha, or Wai, is a computer engineering graduate with a passion for internet-based businesses. Before he went on to build Priceza, a price comparison tool available with local websites in six Southeast Asian countries,Malabuppha earned his Masters degree in Marketing after failing one startup. With 10 years experience in online business under his belt, He has built Priceza from scratch and is now serving over 40 million active users. Malabuppha also serves as a member of the management committee of the Thai E-Commerce Association.
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Yod Chinsupakul
There’s no shortcut.
Founder and CEO of Wong Nai, Thailand’s number one app for restaurant and beauty services reviews, Yod Chinsupakul had a little over four years of management experience in Thomson Reuters before getting his MBA from the Anderson School of Management of the University of California. A few months after returning to Thailand, Chinsupakul saw the opportunity to create a better, more local version of Yelp – a popular restaurant review site in the United States. The first two years of the startup was slow, as the company was still in the process of creating content and attracting users and businesses. Now, Wong Nai boasts of over 1.5 million members and 180,000 local businesses in Bangkok and in neighboring cities.
Moo Natavudh
Great people is an asset and will definitely contribute solutions to problems wherever you put them.
What started as a hobby has grown into a career spanning twelve years and resulting into the creation of the biggest e-bookstore in Southeast Asia. Ookbee founder and CEO Moo Natavudh dove headfirst into tech entrepreneurship after earning his Masters degree in Industrial Engineering after a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace engineering. His first startup, IT WORKS, is an IT outsourcing company that has pivoted many times in the course of 12 years. Apart from Ookbee, Natavudh also manages 500 Tuk Tuks Fund in Thailand as the venture partner of 500 Startups.
Kittinan Anuphan
We develop mobility solutions
Kittinan Anuphan is a serial entrepreneur and is currently the CEO of Claim Di, a mobile application that facilitates communications and claims between drivers and car insurance companies, which he also founded. With a sales career spanning 15 years, Anuphan built his first tech startup in 1997. He has then founded 3 more, including Claim Di, all focusing on mobility solutions.
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