Chin Sophonpanich

Chin Sophonpanich (Thai: ชิน โสภณพนิช, Chinese: 陳弼臣, 1910 - 1988) was the founder of Bangkok Bank and Bangkok Insurance.

Biography

Chin was born to a Chinese immigrant father from Chaoyang,^[1] who was a sawmill clerk, and a Thai mother in Thonburi^[2][3], Bangkok, although some sources stated otherwise that he was born in Shantou before he migrated to Thailand.^[4] At five years old, Chin was sent back to China for education, and upon returning to Thailand he took up his first job as a manual labourer upon returning to Thailand at 17.

In 1944, Chin founded the Bangkok Bank, which started off with only two shophouses. The bank later expanded and diversified its branches into Hong Kong, and Chin lived in Hong Kong from 1957 onwards when Thailand came under the rule of Sarit Thanarat, after he fell out of favour with the former dictator. By 1972, the bank was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Chin died at the age of 78 in 1988. He had two wives. With his first wife, Lau Kwei Ying, he had two sons, Rabin Sophonpanich^[5] and Chatri Sophonpanich. With his second wife, Boonsri, he had seven children, including Chote Sophonpanich and the Khunying Chodchoi Sophonpanich(Chinese: 陳鳳翎).

Chatri Sophonpanich served as president of the Bangkok Bank from 1980 to 1992, and his son, Chartsiri Sophonpanich, has been president since 1994.

Rabin Sophonpanich (also known as Robin Chan) has since relocated to Hong Kong with his family, and his son, Bernard Chan later became a local legislator and its Executive Council member.

Chin's daughter-in-law, the Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich, wife of Chote Sophonpanich, is currently serving as the Thai Democrat Party's Minister of Science and Technology. On 23 February 2009, she presided over the opening ceremony of the 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics, ROBIO 2008, held in Bangkok, Thailand. ^[6]

References

1. ^ Chris Baker, Pasuk Phongpaichit. A History of Thailand. Cambridge University Press. pp. 282. ISBN 0521816157. 
2. ^ Murray Weidenbaum, Samuel Hughes. Bamboo Network: How Expatriate Chinese Entrepreneurs Are Creating a New Economic Superpower in Asia. Free Press. ISBN 068482289X. 
3. ^ (Chinese) 陈弼臣父子两代 情倾家乡教育
4. ^ A diaspora of success
5. ^ Founder Donors
6. ^ 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics

Source

• The Encyclopedia of the Chinese Overseas, page 223, "The Rise of Bangkok Bank", Michael R.J. Vatikiotis, Harvard University Press, (ISBN 0674252101).

External links

• (Chinese) Chin Sophonpanich
• Big Families

Persondata
Name	Sophonpanich, Chin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1910
Place of birth
Date of death	1988
Place of death