In Bangkok’s tropical heat, a chorus of billionaires is singing from the same hymn sheet, and it’s not a dirge of doom. Far from fretting about global turbulence, they’re humming the anthem of opportunity.
Thailand, a nation of 70 million with a long history of weathering political, economic, and even the occasional monsoon storms, is back in the spotlight as a magnet for big-ticket investors. The campaign now has an official slogan: Ignite Thailand: Invest in Endless Opportunity. But the real endorsement comes not from glossy billboards but from the billionaires who have banked fortunes here and who are still doubling down.
Among them: American-born hotelier William Heinecke, Indian chemical magnate Aloke Lohia, Swiss-Thai power baron Harald Link, and Malaysian auto-parts titan Yeap Swee Chuan. Collectively, their businesses have clocked up more than 250 years in the Kingdom enough mileage to convince even the most cautious that Thailand’s appeal isn’t a fad.
Heinecke’s Global Empire with a Thai Heart
William E Heinecke,
William Heinecke arrived in Thailand as a teenager in the 1960s. From those carefree, long-haired days, Minor International PCL grew into a company that now has 640 hotels, 2,700 restaurants, and 80,000 employees in 60 countries.
“Thailand has an underlying stability that often is not understood,” Heinecke insists. “What sets the country apart is accessibility, infrastructure, rule of law — all of which give comfort not only to our company, but any investor coming here.”
Despite his global empire, Heinecke is still investing at home. Beyond beaches, temples and Muay Thai, Thailand is carving a niche as a medical tourism powerhouse. His latest projects? High-end medical wellness clinics attached to luxury resorts offer more than massages, such as longevity treatments and high-grade health retreats.
And let’s not overlook Thailand’s soft power. Pad Thai and Tom Yum soup are now culinary ambassadors, Muay Thai fighters pack out arenas abroad, and HBO’s White Lotus drew millions of eyeballs to Koh Samui and Phuket, filmed, naturally, at Heinecke’s Anantara and Four Seasons resorts.
Lohia’s Chemistry of Confidence
When Indian entrepreneur Aloke Lohia set foot in Thailand in 1988, the odds seemed long. Rural factories and corn cobs aren’t exactly the stuff of boardroom dreams. However, things moved quickly when the Board of Investment (BOI) swiftly approved his plan to make biochemical furfural. So fast, in fact, that Thai banks lined up with loans — a courtship ritual rarely seen elsewhere.
Three decades later, Lohia’s Indorama Ventures PCL is one of the world’s chemical heavyweights. With revenues of US$15.4 billion and operations in 114 sites across 32 countries, PET plastics is among the largest makers and recyclers of the bottles in your fridge and the fibres in your clothes.
“Here we have all the comforts of the East and all the advancement and infrastructure of the West,” Lohia reflects, still anchored in Bangkok. “Great infrastructure, efficient capital markets, skilled workforce, and a lifestyle that attracts global talent.”
Harald Link: History and the Future Collide
Harald Link, chairman of B.Grimm, doesn’t just have a seat at the table; his family built it back in 1878, when B.Grimm began as a pharmacy. A century and a half later, it’s a sprawling conglomerate with power plants, hospitals, and a hand in almost every essential sector.
“In each instance, world wars, financial crises, pandemics, the country has not only maintained stability, but has continued to attract investment, drive economic growth and expand its industrial base,” Link says.
His latest crusade is clean energy and data centres. In 2025, B.Grimm partnered with Singapore’s Digital Edge to launch a US$1 billion, 96-megawatt AI-ready data centre — part of Thailand’s dream to become Southeast Asia’s cloud and AI hub. By 2030, Link’s goal is to triple power capacity and hit net zero emissions by 2050.
If that sounds ambitious, Link credits government policy. “Thailand’s ambitious national targets for renewable energy adoption open vast opportunities for clean energy investments.”
Yeap Swee Chuan and the Automotive Assembly Line
When Yeap Swee Chuan set up AAPICO Hitech PCL in 1996, Thailand’s auto industry was still revving. Today, it’s one of the world’s top ten vehicle hubs, turning out two million cars and trucks annually.
“The success of the Thai auto industry is the success of the Thai government’s automotive sector policies,” Yeap says. Government incentives have paved the way from one-ton pickup trucks to eco-cars and now electric vehicles.
AAPICO, with 6,500 employees, is now a linchpin in Thailand’s highly sophisticated supply chain, exporting cars and parts to over 100 countries.
“Thai cars are exported to over 100 countries, a further testimony of their high global quality,” Yeap declares, with the pragmatism of a man who has watched policy evolve into prosperity.
A Government That Rolls Out the Red Carpet
While cynics point to Thailand’s frequent political reshuffles, the entrepreneurs argue that investment policy has remained consistent. Tax perks, long-term visas and strategic incentives — the Board of Investment has kept the welcome mat out for decades.
BOI Secretary General Narit Therdsteerasukdi puts it plainly: “The support we provide ranges from tax benefits to the 10-year long-term resident visa that facilitates investors’ stay in Thailand.”
A Reverse Brain Drain: Homegrown Heroes Return
Thailand’s pull isn’t just about billionaires. Once lured overseas, a new wave of Thai-born entrepreneurs are heading home.
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Kasima Tharnpipitchai, a Silicon Valley AI guru, now leads AI strategy at SCB 10X, the innovation arm of Siam Commercial Bank. His passion? Building Thai-language large models to keep local culture alive in the digital age.
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Chef Pam (Pichaya Soontornyanakij), trained in New York under Michelin maestro Jean-Georges, returned to open Potong, a Michelin-starred fine-dining in her family’s 120-year-old Chinatown building. Once a medicine shop, now a gastronomic shrine — proof that heritage and innovation can co-exist.
As Kasima puts it: “The quality of life here is great, and I think there’s still a really big opportunity to foster Thailand’s own local tech ecosystem.”
The ASEAN Advantage
At the heart of ASEAN, Thailand is uniquely placed to tap into a 700-million-strong consumer market while sitting next door to giants China and India, which have a combined 2.8 billion potential customers.
“It’s about location, location, location,” quips Heinecke. “There are many opportunities in Thailand and even more opportunities as you look at the region.”
Endless Opportunities, Indeed
The verdict from the billionaires is unanimous: Thailand isn’t just surviving turbulence; it’s surfing it.
With proven policies, a skilled workforce, enviable geography, and a government intent on smoothing the way, the country’s pitch to global investors has more than a touch of credibility. Add the glamour of Thai cuisine, culture, and soft power, making the case irresistible.
As Harald Link notes, history is on Thailand’s side: “These experiences give us confidence that Thailand, with its resilience and adaptability, will once again rise above today’s uncertainties and continue to prosper.”
For those seeking safe havens in an unstable world, Thailand seems less like a gamble and more like a sure thing.
