Chirathivat family
Tiang Chirathivat, an immigrant from Hainan, China, settled in Bangkok in the mid-1920s and opened a small riverside shop selling baskets and general goods, later renamed Central Trading Store. His son Samrit Chirathivat inherited the business and in 1957 opened Thailand's first shopping centre in Bangkok.
How the fortune was built
Central Group grew over subsequent decades into Thailand's dominant department-store and shopping-mall operator. Third-generation leader Tos Chirathivat took the group international starting in 2011 with the acquisition of Italy's La Rinascente, followed by Denmark's Illum department store and Germany's KaDeWe group in the mid-2010s.
Where the family invests today
Central Group's European arm has continued expanding, adding Switzerland's Globus in 2020 and, with Signa Group, the UK/Netherlands/Ireland's Selfridges Group in 2022; the European portfolio now comprises roughly 40 luxury department stores across seven countries generating about €6.3 billion in annual sales. Under CEO Tos Chirathivat, the group continues investing in digital retail and omnichannel integration across both its Thai domestic business and European store network.
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