- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: Sujinda Cherdchai, a prominent figure in Thailand’s transportation industry better known as Jeh Kiew, has passed away at the age of 88, her family announced.
She died of severe kidney failure at Bangkok Hospital on Saturday (Sept 27) afternoon.
In August, she had been admitted to Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital for ten days with age-related conditions including diabetes and hypertension, before being transferred to Bangkok Hospital, where she was treated for two weeks.
Funeral rites
A royally sponsored bathing rite will be held at 5pm on Monday at her Cherdchai Industry Garage in Mueang district, Nakhon Ratchasima. Prayer rites will continue for seven days.
Her body will be transported from Bangkok Hospital to her garage at 10am on Monday.
From poverty to transport tycoon
Sujinda rose from what she once described as “a childhood of grinding poverty” in Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) to become a transport tycoon.
She owned Cherdchai Tour, the country’s largest interprovincial bus operator, which has been providing services for more than 65 years.
She also served as president of the Thai Bus Operators Association.
Diverse business empire
Under the Cherdchai Corporation, her business interests extended beyond buses to include:
- Bus body building (where her company was a pioneer in Thailand)
- Car sales, including a Volvo bus dealership
- Land rental and real estate development
- Decision to sell bus company
In 2022, Sujinda announced her decision to sell Cherdchai Tour, citing multiple challenges:
- Financial losses: The bus unit had been losing money since 2017.
- Competition: Fierce pricing from low-cost airlines made long-haul bus travel less attractive.
- Fuel costs: Rising diesel prices added further strain.
Succession issues: She noted that her four children each ran their own companies, leading her to sell the loss-making bus business and focus on other ventures. - The Nation/ANN
