Thai stock billionaires 2016 unveiled

BANGKOK, December 7 (TNA)- Thailand's billionaires 2016 from their shares listed on the stock market have been unveiled, with the owner of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Company Limited (BMDS), running private Bangkok Hospital and Bangkok Airways, ranked as the country's top stock billionaire for the 4th consecutive year. According to the latest 2016 ranking, jointly conducted by Money & Banking Journal and lecturers of the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University and released on Wednesday, the BMDS President, Dr. Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, holds stocks totally worth 67.24 billion baht this year, an increase of about 4.88 billion baht from last year or 7.82 per cent. The BDMS shares, possessed by Dr. Prasert, comprise those of Bangkok Hospital, Nonthavej Hospital and Bangkok Airways. Other Thai stock billionaires in 2016 include Khiri Kanchanapas, Board Chair of BTS Group Holding Public Company Limited (BTS) running Bangkok's skytrain service, whose shares are totally worth 29.35 billion baht, a 8.88 per cent drop from last year; Thongma Vichitphongphan, Top Executive of Pruksa Real Estate Public Company Limited (PS), whose shares are totally worth 29.28 billion baht, a drop by 17 per cent from last year; Niti Osathanugrah, the heir of the Osotspa business conglomerate, whose shares are totally worth 27.15 billion baht, a 36.61 increase from last year, all of them have been latest ranked the 2nd-5th Thai stock billionaires respectively. The Prasarttong-Osoth Family has also been ranked Thailand's top family of highest stock holding for the 2nd consecutive year in 2016, totally worth 107.92 billion baht, a 22.51 per cent increase from last year, part of the wealth is owned by Dr. Paramaporn Prasarttong-Osoth, the heir of Dr. Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, who takes care of the private hospitals under BMDS and whose shares, totally worth or 15.61 billion baht, have been ranked the 8th on the top-ten Thai stock billionaires this year. Other top Thai stock billionaire families in 2016 include the Chirathivat Family, whose shares are totally worth 58.14 billion baht; the Kanchanapas Family, whose shares are totally worth 42.21 billion baht; the Vichitphongphan Family, whose shares are totally worth 35.40 billion baht; and the Thongtang Family, whose shares are totally worth 31.61 billion baht, all have been ranked the 2nd-5th places on this year's list. (TNA)