Itthipat Kulapongvanich (Tob) is one of the youngest successful businessmen in Thailand. He used to be a bad boy who did poorly at school and often hung out at pubs. However, with a bright business idea and great effort, the 26-year-old Tob soon became the CEO of the Tao Kae Noi Food and Marketing Company, which currently owns the biggest market share of the seaweed industry in Thailand.
Some people may think that people who have a poor background and lack higher education can't succeed in life, but Tob doesn't agree. He has already proved that higher education doesn't always come first. With only a high school education, he now has more than 2,000 employees and currently runs 18 branches of Tao Kae Noi Land, a chain of stores that sells Tao Kae Noi products and other snacks. His branches are located in Bangkok and several other provinces. His latest store is at the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Sukhumvit.
Before succeeding in business, Tob learned a lot from his ups and downs. His father's business collapsed in 1997 and his family was heavily in debt. Tob wanted to help his family by making some money. He bought cheap DVD players and resold them. He also opened a roasted chestnut franchise. However, he later sold the franchise to raise money to open a seaweed factory.
Tob came up with the idea of selling seaweed products after seeing his girlfriend with a packet of fried seaweed. He tried it and found it delicious. His parents tried it and liked it too.
"My business acumen comes from my Chinese upbringing. My father was a successful entrepreneur," Tob said. "I grew up seeing him as a boss that people respected. My mother was also an entrepreneur, and I have also read a lot about people like Steve Jobs and CP Group CEO Dhanin Chearavanont.