Billionaire's Curse: Gun-based Succession Planning for a Bangkok Market

Published 24 Mar 2016
Reference 6195
Region Asia
Length 20 page(s)
Summary

The case highlights the infighting within a Thai family who own and operate a fresh-food market stall business in Bangkok. The case explores the depths to which the Thammawattana dynasty sank in order to keep control of a profitable cash-in-hand business that had made the matriarch, Suwapee Thammawattana, a billionaire by the time of her death at age 65.

Teaching objectives

After reading and analysing the case, students will be able to evaluate the importance for family businesses of having a long-term succession plan. Against the bloodstained backdrop of a family business in Thailand, students will learn about the challenges of succession in an emerging country. The case enables them to discuss the importance of cohesion among the members of a family business.

Keywords
  • Thailand
  • family business
  • Thammawattana
  • Ying Charoen
  • market stalls
  • Linacre
  • Porntip
  • King Bhumibol
  • Q31516
  • Corporate Governance
  • Corporate Governance for Family Firms
  • WICFE
  • Succession, next generation
  • Fair process, communication, psychology, gender
  • Education, entrepreneurship, leadership
  • Women in family business, gender