Cover Story: Business Mogul Khanitha “Guy” Chittkusol’s Journey of Resilience

While overseeing ventures in both the import and property development industries, this savvy businesswoman describes how resilience and steadfast self-belief empowered her to rise from humble beginnings to achieving remarkable financial success.

When you first meet Khanitha “Guy” Chittkusol, several qualities immediately draw you in. These include her understated confidence, her natural storytelling ability, and her keen eye for all things luxury – from exquisite jewellery pieces to coveted bags and rare timepieces. As Managing Director of SGC Land and Property Co Ltd, and Executive Director of Iwamac – distributors of air compressors and spray equipment of Anest Iwata and Asahi Sunac from Japan – Guy has established herself as a formidable presence in the global business sphere. Yet, beneath all that glamour and success lies a journey that’s far from a fairy-tale, but one that exemplifies the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.

Humble Beginnings

Decades ago, Guy’s parents fled to Thailand from China as refugees. Her mother, at only 13 years old, embarked on a boat journey alone, while her father travelled to the kingdom with his parents on a similarly perilous ocean journey. Both faced many challenges in their youth as they adjusted to a new life in Thailand with little to their names. As adults, they eventually met, married, and had 10 children, with Guy being the youngest amongst them.

“I grew up in Bangkok’s Worachak area, within a slum community,” she shares. “The environment was difficult, with many people involved in substance abuse, petty crime, and other reckless behaviour. My family and I shared a one-room flat with a single bathroom. Both my parents would wake up at 3am to sell wares from carts, which left little time for raising me. Two of my siblings had passed away before I was born, and being eight years younger than my next youngest sibling made me a very independent child from the beginning.”

As a youngster, Guy attended a tuition- free school set up by an organisation supporting the Chinese community in Thailand. Despite being only a few years old, she’d walk herself to school daily, which involved navigating the city’s busy intersections alone. Though she disliked studying and often faced discipline from teachers for refusing to complete homework, her leadership skills shone from an early age, and she was repeatedly chosen as class president. Despite her aversion to academia, she developed a passion for books and comics, viewing them as an opportunity to learn more about the world around her.

A Talent for Problem Solving

“When I was little, our family could barely put food on the table, making the idea of receiving an allowance for books out of reach. However, I was always a resourceful kid, albeit a bit mischievous and rough around the edges. To earn money, I’d visit Chinatown to buy small items, like stickers and stuffed toys, to then resell. I also collected glass bottles from bins and salvaged metal from scaffolding to sell for extra cash, all to fund my love for reading. At the time, books were my source of learning, they taught me important moral lessons that shaped who I grew up to become.”

In fourth grade, she faced a big turning point when her parents separated, which led her to move in with her older brother who’d established his own paper business. He recognised the need for a change of place for his baby sister, due to her increasingly disorderly behaviour. Under her sister-in-law’s strict yet positive influence, Guy was enrolled in a reputable school in Urupong, where discipline became the basis of her daily routine. Though initially resistant, she eventually found happiness being part of a more structured environment.

After completing lower secondary school, she shifted her attention to attaining the prerequisites necessary for entering the workforce. She dedicated herself to attending St. Joan of Arc Business Administration School, known for its tough admissions process. Despite the challenging curriculum, Guy was determined to make her parents proud and elevate her family’s social status. After completing her certificate, she attained one more at Bophitphimuk before enrolling in night-time classes at Bangkok University.

During this period, she also took on a role as a secretary to one of the branch heads at Siam Commercial Bank (SCB).  After a brief tenure at SCB, she left to assist her siblings with their flourishing electronics import business, assisting with taking calls, accounting, packing goods, and driving deliveries to various provinces. Little did Guy know, meeting her life partner was just around the corner.

Written in the Stars

“It was the second year in a row that our company had achieved sales targets for Mitsubishi pumps,” she recalls, “so we were invited on a celebratory trip to China and Hong Kong. Originally, my brother was supposed to attend, but he asked me and my mum to go instead as he had a last-minute business appointment. It was during this trip that I met my husband, Suchai, on a boat ride. During our first interactions I was initially annoyed, thinking he kept looking at me despite being with his wife. It was only later that I discovered it was his younger sister.

“Despite my initial assumptions, we had to spend seven days together which gave us a lot of opportunity to get to know each other. I learned more about his business, Iwamac, and before our trip ended he promised to visit me at work to purchase a few things. True to his word, he came to see me, and over time I grew fond of him, as I noticed his dedication to spending time with me and maintaining constant communication.”

A year-and-a-half into their relationship Guy faced a new crossroads: whether to pursue new experiences by moving to the UK with friends, or commit to marriage with Suchai, who was over a decade older. Seeking clarity, she consulted a fortune teller who affirmed that marrying would bring her good fortune (and the couple have been together for 28 years now). After the marriage she balanced working for both her siblings’ and husband’s businesses. After welcoming her first child she later decided to prioritise her growing family, stepping away from work during her second pregnancy.

“Leaving work was a difficult transition for me because I’ve always been someone who thrives on staying busy, because I’d been working from when I was a child. As a result, I couldn’t deal with the thought of sitting idle every day. During this period a friend, who was a stockbroker, introduced me to trading stocks, which instantly drew my attention. My experience investing in stocks can only be described as a rollercoaster journey, with significant highs and lows. I took substantial risks, and had moments where smart investments and trades yielded millions of baht in profits, but I also experienced losses totalling tens of millions.

“Looking back, I regret diving into stock investments without first building a strong foundational knowledge,” she confesses. “Despite my team’s efforts to teach me about graphs and how to analyse them, my disdain for studying anything ultimately led me to rely on intuition alone. This approach taught me the hard lesson that investing in something you simply don’t understand fully is risky and unsustainable.”

Landing on a Winning Idea  

While exploring stock trading, Guy also grew more and more interested in moving into a new and bigger home. During a search for land on Ratchapruek Road she met an elderly property middleman who presented multiple options. She ended up buying a plot and began designing her dream house, but soon after the middleman informed her of a potential buyer interested in acquiring the land from her. Having owned the deed for only a few months, yet already poised to turn a significant profit, she reconsidered the move and persuaded her husband to stay put in their old home, marking her first land sale transaction.

“From that first successful sale, I was inspired to enter the world of property development and land acquisition. Through experience, I developed strong relationship with locals of certain areas and a knack for anticipating future growth, investing in plots of land before infrastructure like malls and schools were even planned. These early experiences formed the foundation for my company, SGC Land and Property Co Ltd, which remains my focus today.”

The Importance of Independence

Currently, this business maven manages the financial dealings of Iwamac while also overseeing operations at SGC as the primary decision-maker. She describes her leadership style as hands-off, focusing on the bigger picture and emphasising a collective success mindset rather than micromanaging daily tasks. This approach also extends to her household, where she treats her staff like family, granting them plenty of freedom as long as they fulfil their responsibilities.

When it comes to her children – Kris, Navathorn, and Orakarn – her parenting philosophy centres around fostering trust and encouraging independence, a method that has sparked some controversy within her extended circles. “To some, I may appear as an unconventional mother because I prioritise raising independent children, as I saw the value it brought me in my own upbringing,” she remarks. “I’m immensely proud of all my kids, and I understand they each have their own strengths, so I make it a point to never compare them. I understand they are each navigating their own paths in life.

“I never did well at school so I’m not able to support them with things like homework,” she goes on to say. “However, I take pride in being able to provide them with the resources they might need to succeed, such as tutors and extracurricular classes. Although I’ve cultivated a very friendly dynamic with my kids, we have some key rules that I will always remain firm about: honesty, integrity, and transparency are non-negotiable! And if they make mistakes, I encourage them to come forward and communicate openly with me.”

She also emphasises to her kids the importance of taking responsibility, and not blaming external factors. “This mindset builds the resilience and inner strength that will get them through life. Despite facing some pushback about giving my children the freedom to be themselves, I’m happy, as long as my kids have strong values, a good work ethic, and are kind. I’m very fortunate that my husband shares this approach to parenting as well.”

The Significance of Spirituality

When not juggling all her roles in life, Guy spends her free time watching movies and TV series, taking long walks, and tending to her home. She also emphasises that a crucial part of her daily routine revolves around making merit and prayer.

“Spirituality has been a guiding light through all of the most challenges times in my life. I’ve been making merit since I was a child, but while working at SCB my boss introduced me to books on dharma and spirituality, which became pillars of hope  for me. I’m also very committed to philanthropy. I support hospitals, schools, and donate food and livestock to local communities wherever possible. When I think about my life, I attribute a lot of my success to these practices. I believe doing good unto others with genuine intention always comes back.”

A Love for Luxury

As for her own personal style, she draws inspiration from trends she discovers through examining what movie stars and models are wearing. She describes her fashion sense as “quiet luxury”, preferring to make a statement through understated yet luxurious attire and accessories. And while her fascination with Thai gemstones began at 18, her passion for high jewellery is a newer interest. She not only holds a deep appreciation for the craftsmanship and exclusivity of these pieces, which are often one-offs or limited editions, but also sees how they present investment opportunities due to their increasing value over time.

One of her favourite jewellery brands is Tiffany & Co., and she has many pieces in her collection. “I have a particular fondness for my ‘Bird on a Rock’ pieces. I currently own three, including a dazzling aquamarine iteration, and I plan on expanding my collection further. I really love the variety of colours available, and consider the design the ideal embodiment of quiet luxury – sure to catch the eye of jewellery connoisseurs who really know their brands and their histories.”

Guy explains how over the past decade her tastes have evolved significantly, leading her to invest heavily in items such as bags, watches – especially from Hermès and Patek Philippe – and jewellery. “I’ve spent many years expanding my knowledge and building strong relationships with luxury brands and shopping malls across Bangkok, taking pride in being recognised as a top spender. These connections have opened doors to exclusive personal shopping and concierge experiences, and I really value the rapport I’ve built so far.”

Reflecting on her life, Guy’s positive outlook is truly inspiring. She fondly recalls her childhood as a time of valuable lessons, refusing to hold any resentment towards her parents and family for their challenging circumstances. “I’ve never harboured negative feelings about starting with nothing. Happiness has always been something I’ve found within myself, regardless of external circumstances. To me, every situation, whether good or bad, holds a lesson and an opportunity for growth.”

Photographer: Napat Gunkham
Photographer’s Assistants: Keaidkumchai Tongpai & Phongsak Wethee Stylist: Panchanitch Rattanawilai
Makeup Artist: Nontalee Wongpeng
Hair Stylist: Kitphisuth Kanchanakawinphong
Editorial Coordinator: Amornrat Sannongmuang
Location: Tiffany & Co. Boutique, Siam Paragon

Featured image:

Total Look: Poem (Guy’s own)
Necklace: Tiffany & Co. Butterfly Necklace
Earrings: Tiffany & Co. Stars Earrings
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co. Butterfly Bracelet
Ring: Tiffany & Co. unenhanced yellow sapphire ring