Nothing to fear, nothing to lose – Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul

[webfact]

Image Credit: Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul

 

By Nad Bunnag, Thai PBS World

 

Bringing good things to life means that whatever we are doing, be it business, industry, banking, tourism or sport, you help people to have a better life, especially people in Thailand.”

 

This is Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul’s personal philosophy in life. She is widely acknowledged as being one of the most successful businesswomen in Thailand, and once served as the country’s Minister of Tourism and Sports. 

 

Different ways of working

 

Currently, Kobkarn is the Chairwoman of Toshiba Thailand and of the board of Kasikorn Bank. Most recently, she has also been appointed as the Vice-Chair of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

 

Kobkarn opines that the ways of working in the private and government sectors are completely different, as business CEOs have control of their own direction.

 

“We decide our own destiny,” she explains. “We make quick decisions, and if we need to change, we change from time to time or all the time, because otherwise we cannot survive in the private sector.”

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/nothing-to-fear-nothing-to-lose-kobkarn-wattanavrangkul/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-04-28

 

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[herfiehandbag]

Somehow harks back to a less terrible time, when the only worry was what bizarre but basically harmless idea was next!

Edited April 27, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

you help people to have a better life, especially people in Thailand.”

Maybe she could enlighten Prayut & Co

[mtls2005]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“We decide our own destiny,” she explains. “We make quick decisions, and if we need to change, we change from time to time or all the time, because otherwise we cannot survive in the private sector.”

 

Shot across the bow of the HMS Prayuth?

 

Interesting time to be speaking up.

 

 

“Everyone is a red brick”

 

The “Red Brick” is another philosophy Kobkarn adopted in life, where every single brick is as important as the next.

 

“We believe that each individual, myself as the chairperson, my secretary, my workers in the factories, who are now producing refrigerators every day, are equal to one red brick; no one is more, and no one is less.”

 

 

Yeah, sure. 

 

 

 

 

[DLock]

Ah, PopKorn.

 

She ruled the TAT in the furtive years, when it was almost impossible to put a foot wrong - arrivals just went up regardless of what she did.

 

It was hard to get removed from that job yet she managed it.

 

Now she makes fridges.

[Orinoco]

Some red bricks are just more shiny than others.

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“We make quick decisions, and if we need to change, we change from time to time or all the time, because otherwise we cannot survive in the private sector.”

Unlike the Jobs-for-Life (Un)Civil Service.

[4MyEgo]

13 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Some red bricks are just more shiny than others.

 

Was that b as in bricks, haven't got my glasses on, it's all a bit of a blur to me.

Edited April 28, 2021 by 4MyEgo

[bluesofa]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Maybe she could enlighten Prayut & Co

To 'enlighten' him, tell him to change his light fitting. His lamp seems to be 5 Watts, needs at least 75 Watts to see things as they really are.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, DLock said:

Ah, PopKorn.

 

She ruled the TAT in the furtive years, when it was almost impossible to put a foot wrong - arrivals just went up regardless of what she did.

 

It was hard to get removed from that job yet she managed it.

 

Now she makes fridges.

 

But there could be the situation she was removed to make way for a political friend or crony or someone's son or daughter etc.

[thequietman]

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

“Everyone is a red brick”

Maybe that b should be a p !  ????

[DLock]

10 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

But there could be the situation she was removed to make way for a political friend or crony or someone's son or daughter etc.

 

For sure.

 

I'm just not sure I understand the point of the article. Called a friendly journalist to keep her relevant?

 

Anyway...she's still making fridges.

[Excel]

2 hours ago, DLock said:

Ah, PopKorn.

 

She ruled the TAT in the furtive years, when it was almost impossible to put a foot wrong - arrivals just went up regardless of what she did.

 

It was hard to get removed from that job yet she managed it.

 

Now she makes fridges.

She will be changing her name soon perhaps to  Cruella Wattanavrangkul ????

[sweatalot]

IsN't she te one who came up with the glorious idea to make Pattaya a family resort?

[BostonRob2]

11 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Ah yes...durian Kit Kats and Pokiman Go tourists...who could forget such brilliant ideas!

That's a bit unkind....what about that spiffing ruse to end the sex industry ????

 

[Orac]

7 hours ago, DLock said:

 

For sure.

 

I'm just not sure I understand the point of the article. Called a friendly journalist to keep her relevant?

 

Anyway...she's still making fridges.

She makes fridges for the company she took over from her mother who had to come back and help out when it got into trouble a few years after she took over and has always worked for the family so the impression given that she is some self-made business woman is a bit wide of the mark.
 

Apart from the stint in govt she has always worked in family businesses since she started off in sales at MBK which was set up by her grandparents whose original business was  Mah Boonkrong Rice/Patum Rice Mill with the extended family owning many businesses and hotels throughout Thailand.

 

Interesting that the article is written by Nad Bunnag from another well established family with huge influence behind the scenes.

[DLock]

14 minutes ago, Orac said:

She makes fridges for the company she took over from her mother who had to come back and help out when it got into trouble a few years after she took over and has always worked for the family so the impression given that she is some self-made business woman is a bit wide of the mark.
 

Apart from the stint in govt she has always worked in family businesses since she started off in sales at MBK which was set up by her grandparents whose original business was  Mah Boonkrong Rice/Patum Rice Mill with the extended family owning many businesses and hotels throughout Thailand.

 

Interesting that the article is written by Nad Bunnag from another well established family with huge influence behind the scenes.

 

Thanks for the background...how did she procure such an important role with the Government with TAT?

[Orac]

12 minutes ago, DLock said:

 

Thanks for the background...how did she procure such an important role with the Government with TAT?

family has a lot of pull at senior levels - her uncle Sirichai owns the likes of Dusit Thani and Thanachart Bank. I did see somewhere that another uncle had been a senior adviser to several governments in the past of various political and non-political persuasions. The family name itself, Bulakul, is derived from “Bul”as in Pibulsongkhram, one of Thailands early dictators, and “Kul” meaning clan.