The Bulakul family (Thai: บูลกุล) is one of Thailand's first and oldest business families and is of Cantonese Chinese descent, descended from the Ma clan.[1] It traces its origins to Ma Tong-zen (Chinese: 馬棠政, 1871–1923), an engineer who immigrated to Siam in 1888, and his son Ma Liap-khun (馬立群, 1897–1964), who adopted the Thai name Mah Bulakul (มา บูลกุล) in 1941, the surname being granted by Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram, under royal decree.[2] Mah built his fortune from rice milling starting in the early 20th century and was part of the "Big Five" families across Asia to control rice trade, while also holding prominent political positions.[3] The family's business holdings has since expanded under his descendants to form a conglomerate covering real estate, financial services, retail, shipping, food and beverage, and media and entertainment.[4][5][6]
| Bulakul บูลกุล Saema | |
|---|---|
| Parent family | Ma family |
| Current region | Bangkok |
| Place of origin | Guangdong, China |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Founder | Ma Tong-zen (1888, immigrant) Mah Bulakul (1941, adopted surname) |
| Current head | Chok Bulakul |
Among the family's holdings and past ventures are the Mah Boon Krong Drying and Silo Company (now MBK Group), which expanded into retail under Mah's son Sirichai Bulakul and developed Mahboonkrong Center, one of Thailand's first large-scale shopping malls;[4] Farm Chokchai, a dairy farm and tourist attraction developed by Chokchai Bulakul, another son;[7] and Brooker Group, a listed financial services business headed by Chan Bulakul, Mah's youngest son.[8] The majority of the family's businesses are privately held.
References
edit- ^ "HERMES-IR : Research & Education Resources". hermes-ir.lib.hit-u.ac.jp. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
- ^ "มา บูลกุล พ่อที่ลูกๆ ไม่ถอดแบบ". Manager (in Thai). August 1986. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ "HERMES-IR : Research & Education Resources". hermes-ir.lib.hit-u.ac.jp. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
- ^ a b "Historic Southeast Asian companies forge new paths to success". Nikkei Asia. Archived from the original on 2021-09-06. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Ara (2004-07-19). The Intimate Economies of Bangkok: Tomboys, Tycoons, and Avon Ladies in the Global City. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-93743-7.
- ^ Bertrand, Marianne (7 April 2008). "Mixing family with business: A study of Thai business groups and the families behind them". Journal of Financial Economics. 88 (3): 466–498. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.365.588. doi:10.1016/j.jfineco.2008.04.002.
- ^ Phoonphongphiphat, Apornrath (8 April 2017). "Steer the course". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Leadership Insight: 5 Questions with Chan Bulakul". Business Insider. Retrieved 6 September 2021.