Thailand's 'startup godfather' sees crisis as opportunity

Published Wed, Nov 11, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Bangkok

HE is 43 years old, charismatic and widely regarded as Thailand's "start-up godfather", having invested in dozens of startups during his career.

Ruangroj Poonpol, the chairman of Kasikorn Bank's digital arm, is a recognised face in the country's technology sector, and these days he is eager to make the most of the disruption brought about by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

"This is a crisis in itself, but it presents an opportunity to do things differently. It gives us a mandate to accelerate ourselves in terms of digital transformation," said Mr Ruangroj, a man who is also known by his childhood nickname "Krating", or bull.

In a recent interview with The Business Times, the Stanford Business School graduate spoke of how the pandemic has made hi…