Red Bull Family Leads Thailand’s Wealth Surge in 2025

BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand’s top three richest families saw their combined wealth rise by more than 11% in 2025, reaching a total of $170.5 billion. This surge comes despite a slower-than-expected economic growth amid trade tensions and political uncertainty.

The Red Bull family retained their position as the wealthiest, adding a remarkable $8.5 billion to their fortune. Their wealth skyrocketed to a record $44.5 billion, fueled by an increase in revenue for the energy drink giant, which reported annual sales of €11.2 billion ($12.9 billion) in 2024, totaling nearly 13 billion cans sold worldwide.

In second place, the Charoen Pokphand group saw their net worth rise by 23% to $35.7 billion. The group is heavily investing in digital infrastructure, committing $1 billion alongside BlackRock to build new data centers. Additionally, their fintech unit, Ascend Money, has received approval to establish a virtual bank.

Energy and telecom tycoon Sarath Ratanavadi climbed to No. 3 with a net worth of $12 billion, an increase attributed to the merger between Gulf Energy Development and Intouch Holdings, which was listed in April as Gulf Development.

Despite a relatively flat net worth of $10.5 billion, beverage mogul Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi slipped to fourth place after transferring some holdings to his children earlier this year. His fortune is still listed under his name as the group’s founder, despite consumer sentiment in the retail sector declining, which saw his wealth drop by 13% to $8.6 billion.

With 19 listees facing declining fortunes, notable impacts included the coffee magnate whose PM Group saw its joint venture with Nestle conclude, while two influential patriarchs passed away since the last ranking: Vanich Chaiyawan of Thai Life Insurance and Pongsak Viddayakorn of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services.

While the minimum net worth to qualify for this list decreased to $420 million, four individuals fell from the rankings, including renewable energy magnate Somphote Ahunai, whose business faced financial difficulties.