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Published on August 2, 2007

Pithep Chantarasereekul is only 36 years old, but his business track record reads like that of a veteran. He took the post of deputy managing director of Krungthai Car Rent and Lease (Kcar) when he was 23 and held the job for 10 years before becoming managing director three years ago.

He never runs out of reasons why he has been able to succeed at such a tender age. The company is his family's business, but Pithep prefers to believe he has been in the top job for a long time without protest because of his rational and positive thinking; his readiness to attempt anything, plus his hard work. Most of all, he has succeeded because of his love of reading.

Pithep spends as much as Bt10,000 on about 20 books per month, so he has become one of the most valued clients of Amarin Publishing. He enjoys reading different kinds of books, and if one really captures his interest, he can finish it in a single day. He enjoys spending two hours of private time each day - before sunrise and at night - for his reading.

"Whenever I enter a bookstore, I can hardly bear to buy books or magazines, especially those on technology, cars and stereo, because I'm a quick reader, and I'll complete them very quickly," he says.

He attributes many professional benefits to his reading, and Kcar is now the country's third-largest car-rental and -leasing firm, owning about 4,300 cars.

Back when he took the post of deputy managing director of the newly established company, Pithep realised his bachelor's degree was not enough to give him the edge he needed. He learned by both doing and reading to increase his efficiency.

"Reading helps me greatly. I'm easily open to new ideas, and it becomes clear to me when I must make a decision. My head just crystallises," he says.

However, he had to accept that many groups of people, including customers, suppliers and employees, were surprised about him gaining the position at his young age. He was "green" from university and not expected to know what to do with the business. But as time passed, he proved his age was no obstacle.

Pithep decided to broaden his knowledge by studying for a master's degree in business administration (finance) at Seattle University in Washington state. In the process of gaining new knowledge, skills and "foreigners' logic", he also learned as much as he could about the rental-car business - something he knew he could not learn in Thailand.

After his graduation, he applied that logic to his management style and found no time to read and learn. Instead, his counterparts and staff were good sources of learning.

"I honoured them and let them make decisions together. This allowed me to make sharper decisions as the years passed," he says.

Pithep's philosophy is to be vigilant, think constantly of development and think positively. He tries to see the positive side of each situation in the belief that positive thinking will eventually yield good returns.

"If we treat our customers and competitors well, it will bring the company positive returns," he says.

Amid the struggle for survival in Thailand's current economic slow-down, Pithep expresses optimism his company will be able to benefit from the situation. Many companies will cut their costs and turn to renting cars instead of buying them, he says.

Kcar is expected to grow 15 per cent this year and will do even better next year once the country's political and economic situation improves.

However, Pithep warns, there is a very thin line between positive thinking and heedlessness, and each person must choose the best path.

The young managing director applies the same philosophy to his private life. In his view, the more he gives to those around him, the more he will get back.

When he does not understand something clearly, Pithep is always ready to make an effort to appreciate it completely. Having read books on Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy, he realised he could not understand the subjects in depth without hands-on practice, so he took a seven-day meditation course to improve his understanding.

He makes a practice of each year reviewing what has happened in his professional life. When he finds something he does not understand well enough, he will learn more and more until he comprehends it clearly. This often convinces him he must continue reading.

He says he feels he has achieved in his 13-year working life what others take 30 years to achieve. He does not feel exhausted, but he does become stressed. And although he is satisfied with his health, his family and his work, there are two things he has yet to achieve.

"I've not been able to spend my life in the way it should be spent, and I cannot really answer the questions of life. I need to understand this," he says.

While his reading and philosophy have guided him all along, he feels his life is controlled by reasons.

Therefore, one of his big dreams is to spend some of his life without reasons.

Anoma Srisukkasem

The Nation