An enterprising Thai businessman left Shanghai in the late 1940s for his home in Bangkok. He brought with him his beautiful Chinese wife and an ambition of undertaking textile production according to the successful management system he had observed in Shanghai. His first undertaking after his return was to launch in 1950 with his brother a weaving mill in the name of Bangkok Weaving Mills. He also sent his son, Phongsak Assakul, first to Hong Kong then to Manchester University to study textile engineering. During the post-War rehabilitation years Phongsak's father was killed in an air crash, so that his uncle had to recall Phongsak to attend the funeral, then make arrangements for him to complete his studies at Manchester. One year later Phongsak returned to Bangkok to learn and later manage the business. Five years ago Bangkok Weaving Mills celebrated 50 years of success under the slogan Progress Through Enterprise, then this year we made an appointment to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the company at ITMA Asia in Singapore. However both of us were too busy to find time for this. The appointment was therefore postponed to November 17 in Hong Kong. Part of our program was an interview to summarise Phongsak's recent experience in expanding his textile group, and of the situation arising from quota abolition and the flow of trade in new directions. Here it is.
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