Property tycoon Anant Asavabhokhin retained his ranking as the richest businessman in Thailand this year for the seventh consecutive year, with a combined asset value of Bt15.9 billion, according to the 2009 annual billionaire survey by Money & Banking Magazine.
The Maleenont family, which holds a majority stake in BEC World, the operator of TV Channel 3, was ranked the country's richest family for the eleventh consecutive year. The Shinawatra family was ranked as the 38th richest family, climbing from 48th place last year.
The top 100 Thai richest ranking for 2009 was surveyed by the magazine in cooperation with the Faculty of Commercial and Accountancy at Chulalongkorn University, using shareholdings in listed companies on book registrations as of September 30. The survey found the total wealth of the group by this measure this year was up Bt56 billion from last year.
Anant is chairman and managing director of the high-end property developer Land and Houses. His wealth this year climbed to Bt15.97 billion, up 8.94 per cent from last year. Thongma Vijitpongpun, owner and executive of Preuksa Real Estate, also remained the second richest individual, for the fourth consecutive year. He held shares valued at Bt15.83 billion, up 64.91 per cent from last year.
The third-rank individual was Nithi Osathanugrah, with total holdings of Bt5.73 billion, up 31.13 per cent from last year. He climbed from fifth rank last year. In fourth place was Pravit Maleenont, holding shares worth Bt5.16 billion, up 6 per cent from last year.
via Anant still the richest by asset value – Nationmultimedia.com.
