“For everything society has given you, pay it forward.”

Life, work, and inspiration of Mr. Samarn Kunarkornpaiboonsiri

Managing Director of Krieng Thavorn Containers Co., Ltd.

At the age of 72, Mr. Samarn is still fully energized in life. As he led us to the Hall of Fame of Krieng Thavorn Containers Co., Ltd. and showed us around the factory, Mr. Samarn inspired us with insights and tips on life and work which are still as relevant today as they were 30 years ago.

Interested in manufacturing plastic products such as coolers, septic tanks, above-ground and underground water tanks and garbage chute etc., Mr. Samarn decided to start his rotomolding business despite having to learn everything from scratch. He tirelessly sought out the best material and developed the best technology to create the best-in-class products. As a result, he quickly earned the trust of his clients and put his company in the forefront of Thailand’s rotomolding industry.

Products of Krieng Thavorn Containers

Mr. Samarn established Krieng Thavorn Containers Co., Ltd. in 1989 when rotomolding businesses in Thailand still needed imported machinery and material. Later, he succeeded to develop his own technology and machinery to match production needs.

“The heart of rotomolding is the material, which is plastic resin. At first, we relied on imports. However, after SCG developed SCG™ LLDPE for rotomolding, we have become SCG’s customer ever since. SCG has also developed its rotomolding resins consistently, from pure resins to ground resins, compounds, and resins for coolers and water tanks of different sizes.”

For Krieng Thavorn Containers, it is the raw material that holds the secret to its product development. As an SCG’s customer and a person with insights of customers’ needs, Mr. Samarn has transformed the needs of end-users into a springboard for SCG in developing plastic resins with desired properties.

“A case in point is the resin for coolers. The main problem is that the PU (polyurethane) foam and PE (polyethylene), which are sworn enemies, refuse to stick to each other. However, Thai researchers have excellent know-how and have been able to formulate plastic resin that enables the foam to better adhere to the plastic. This has not only enhanced the quality of our products but also reduced manufacturing processes and costs. SCG’s teams are proficient and never stop developing, and the executives also pay meticulous attention to every product that has been sent out to the market.

“For everything society has given you, pay it forward.”

Because of his childhood struggle, Mr. Samarn always gives back to society, ranging from small-scale programs to national-level projects.

“I started my philanthropic activities more than 30 years ago when privy councilor Dr. Kasem Wattanachai, M.D., who is like a brother to me, was traveling to a hill tribe village under Royal Project as part of a volunteer unit and had invited me and my wife. There, I saw how they lived in such sorry conditions, with poor welfare, healthcare, and livelihood. So, together with my friends, I brought necessary items to them, built temples and schools and donated water tanks for those struggling with water shortage.”

“Our volunteer group kept growing. At that time, due to increased commitments on Dr. Kasem’s part, I was appointed as head of the group in his place. Our group made an excursion every month, along with medical and dental units and barbers, to bring sanitary ware, food, and clothes to people in need. After 23 years, I resigned from the group because of my age. I am very thankful to Dr. Kasem for this opportunities. However, my company has remained committed to its outreach initiatives. There is a sentence that underlies my working life: “For everything society has given you, pay it forward.”

“Another pursuit of mine is the Foundation for Evangelism and Quality of Life Development. We travel to schools and organizations across the country to spread the words of Buddha, which serve as a guiding light for followers, and create a peaceful and happy society. The foundation has brought together people with various talents to educate underprivileged children in remote areas. In our most recent trip to Phetchabun, SCG also joined us to talk about petrochemical products, the origin of plastic, and the circular economy and teach local children how to maximize resources and sort and dispose of waste correctly.”

Stemming from his lifelong philanthropic pursuits was a CSR program under the name of Krieng Thavorn Containers: “WC Chair, Bringing the Happiness,” which has been carried out across Thailand and in neighboring countries.

“The WC Chair, Bringing the Happiness Project was born during my business trip to Myanmar. At an upscale restaurant, I went to their VIP restroom and discovered that it was a squat toilet. I had knee surgery and could not squat. That made me think about how difficult squatting could be for the Thai people, especially the elderly in rural areas. When I came back to Bangkok, I asked my designing team to create a commode chair. Although it took quite some time, we eventually perfected the design and patented it. We have donated 500 commode chairs to each of 77 provinces in Thailand and 2,000 commode chairs to Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos each. We also worked with Association of the Physically Handicapped of Thailand to donated 50,000 more. We also donated to 19 hospitals under the patronage of His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand. The total of this project is 100,697 WC Chairs worth around 60 millions Baht”

Patience, honesty and integrity

Because he had lower social capital than others, Mr. Samarn was always thirsty for knowledge and worked to improve himself and his organization, which explains why his company has developed by leaps and bounds as it has.

“Here is my message for those who have just started a business. To succeed, you need to be patient and honest. You need to have clear goals and conduct your business with integrity. In addition to running your business, I think it’s important to give back to society.”

Nothing can stand in the way of perseverance and good intentions, as his life has demonstrated. Having worked tirelessly to bring happiness to his family and improve the quality of life in Thai society and neighboring countries, Mr. Samarn Kunarkornpaiboonsiri is an excellent role model for those wishing to achieve a meaningful personal and working life.

For more information

 

Foundation for Evangelism and Quality of Life Development www.fraqlife.org

WC Chair, Bringing the Happiness www.wc-chair.org