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A NEW SHINNING HSITORY IN ACHIEVMENT

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(PREFACE) — The pride of Siew Association of Thailand (KSAT)

Among the many famous Thai-Chinese community leaders we have interviewed, the new President of the 140 year old Kwong Siew Association of Thailand, Mr. Utai Asadatorn portraited the image of a distinguished businessman who has notable achievements in the nation’s sugar industry as well as charity to the society.

 

Chapter 2 Flourishing the historical KSAT

140 years ago, 8 notable Kwong Siew (Guangdong) businessmen in Bangkok visioned the need to establish an association to enhance communication and unity of Kwong Siew Clansmen pooled funds to purchase a piece of land on Charoenkrung Road to build Kwong Siew Villa — the forerunner of Kwong Siew Association, subsequently founded the Ming Tak School; the Canton Shrine and the Kwong Siew Hospital within the villa premise. Kwong Siew Hospital was then the only Western and Chinese medical facility in the whole China Town. It was well received and praised by the community. The Canton Shrine installed the Yuen Tin God; Man Cheung God; Lo Barn Engineering God and Confucius God for people to worship to pray for happiness, luck and tranquility. The Ming Tak School prospered rapidly and was later moved to Silom Road and changed its name to Kwong Chow School (KCS). Today KCS has flourished into a multi-lingual international school accommodating more than 800 students. After establishing Canton Shrine; Kwong Siew Hospital and Kwong Chow School, KSAT bought land in Trok Chanthe and Nakorn Pathom and built two cemeteries to serve the community. Nine years ago, an elite group of businessmen of KSAT led by Mr. Chan Bulakul founded the Kwong Siew Commerce Association (KSCA) with the aim to help our member to explore business opportunity and promote international trade. Based on the foundation laid by KSAT’s forerunners, Mr. Utai Asadatorn committed himself to steer KSAT and KSCA into new horizons.

 

Chapter 3 New leader of renowned sugar kingdom

We are honored to interview the 3rd generation pilot of the renowned Thailand sugar industry leader– Thai Rungreung Sugar Group,  Mr. Utai Asadatorn.  In Thailand, Thai Rungreung Sugar Group is widely recognized as  “King of Sugar” due to its outstanding achievement and contribution to Thailand’s sugar industry.  Mr. Suree Asadatorn, the grandfather of Mr. Utai Asadatorn founded the Thai Rungreung Sugar Group on 5th May 1946, the pioneer of the Nation’s sugar industry.  Besides fostering his family’s business, Mr. Suree Asadatorn also paid great concern towards charity through steering Kwong Siew Association to participate in social charity activities, thus became a notable leader in the Thai Chinese community.  Mr. Utai Asadatorn was greatly influenced by his Grandfather Mr. Suree and his father Mr. Suwat and devoted his effort in his studies and became an outstanding student since young. Mr. Utai’s grandfather and father paved his future by sending him to receive higher education in Germany and USA in the field of Mechanics and Environmental Management. After graduation, Mr. Utai returned home to shoulder the Pilot role of the 3rd generation to steer his family business towards flourishment.

Mr. Utai believed that the family’s sugar business could only advance by improving sugar cane production. To achieve this, he had to start by renovating “sugar cane harvesting machinery” , he used his technical know-how and invented more efficient and durable harvesting machinery which out-competed US and Japanese machinery. Each of his ‘harvesting machines’ was equivalent to the output of 100 workers, a truly stunning success. On the other hand, Mr. Utai headed a team of researchers to work on improving quality of sugar canes.  The target is to help sugar cane farmers to fully utilize the plantation land to grow improved species of sugar cane.  The methodology is to use new fertilizer and redesign the irrigation system. Under the advice and guidance of Mr. Utai, the sugar cane farmers produce 5 tons of sugar cane per rai of land.  Mr. Utai sets his production target to further improve production to ten tones of sugar per rai of land and production lifespan of land can be extended to five years.  Thus, profitability of sugar production is greatly enhanced.

Today, under the leadership of Mr. Utai, the Thai Rungreung Sugar Group has expanded into 13 subsidiaries, 4 sugar production factories located at Kanchanaburi; Pitsanulok; Phetchabun; Loburi and Saraburi, employing over 7,000 workers.  The original “Lin” brand of sugar is sold all over Thailand and exported to countries, cities or districts in China; USA; Africa and Indonesia. The latest product of ‘Golder Sugar’ is the appointed sugar for many brand name hotels and chain network of coffee shops.

[Interviewing at KSAT，Thailand]

on July 8, 2018

 

Reported by Darwin Lee