Chearavanont family
The Chearavanont family is a Thai Chinese business family based in Bangkok, Thailand, and has ancestral roots from Shantou, China. The family is noted for its success in business and thus amassing a wealth of US$5.5 billion dollars in 1995, making them one of the richest Chinese families in the world. According to the List of "Thailand's Richest" by Forbes, Dhanin Chearavanont is Thailand's richest individual, with an accumulated wealth of US$ 7.4 Billion, which places him among the world’s 200 richest men. Dhanin Chearavanont’s father, Chia Ek Chor, and uncle, Chia Seow Hui, left China for Bangkok in the 1920’s to begin selling seeds and agricultural chemicals. Their business diversified geographically across Asia, and vertically via a number of technology ventures and contract farming initiatives. In the 1980’s, as China opened up to foreign firms, the Charoen Pokphand Group became the preferred partner for international brands such as Honda, Wal Mart, and Tesco. The C.P. Group is one of Asia's largest conglomerates and operates in agriculture, telecommunications, marketing, distribution and logistics, international trading, petrochemicals, property and land development, crop integration, insurance, automotive, and pet foods.