With a love of the science lab and a family background that pushed him into the business world, Pawat Vitoorapakorn knows how to run a company that invents and experiments.
An avid reader and experimenter, Pawat Vitoorapakorn, president and CEO of EPG group of companies, backs his belief in education.
With his innovative powers, he has helped build a family-run business into a large group worth more than 10 billion baht, making products that have gained worldwide recognition and earned more than 400 domestic and foreign patents.
At 63, he is still active as president and chief executive officer of Eastern Polymer Group (EPG) Plc Limited, a leading maker of synthetic rubber and plastic products, with several affiliates and joint ventures.
EPG has several businesses, including Aeroflex synthetic rubber insulation and Aeroklas plastic auto parts and truck bed liners.
EPG also owns the Eastern Polypack brand of disposable plastic packaging for food and beverages. EPD's production plants are based in China, the United States, India and Germany.
EPG is also set to be listed on the stock market in Thailand.
As the eldest son in a family of 10 children, Mr Pawat played a major role in helping his father run several of the family's businesses. He said he had to earn his keep.
While he was studying, he had to help his mother do household chores such as raising up to 20 pigs. He also sold ice lollies and other goods to earn money to supplement the family's income.
"I liked doing experiments and spent a lot of time in scientific laboratories," he recalled of his college days at Srinakharinwirot University's Prasarnmit Demonstration School.
The young lad frequently visited the open air book markets at Sanam Luang weekend market (which was later moved to Chatuchak) and Yaowarat in Chinatown, to look for old and new books, particularly those providing biographical information on the world's great inventors and scientists.
He said a book on the story of electric light bulb inventor Thomas Alva Edison inspired him to follow in the American creator's footsteps.
"I used to try making shoe polish, lipsticks, eye shadow and nail polish, and my friends volunteered to become guinea pigs for my tests. I used to test chemical mixtures and they exploded, leaving the labs in a mess," he said.
An important turning point in his life came when he helped his father run an old rubber processing plant the family had taken over. A special chemical formula to make rubber products, which was a trade secret, was also handed over to the new owner.
The formula was the basis for developing new products, including buoys which proved popular with those in the fishing industry − the family-run business became the first to make such buoys in the country. The production of the buoys also helped reduce imports from abroad.
The success in making and selling buoys led to the establishment of Eastern Polymer Industries Company Limited in 1978. The company went public in 2013.
His father, Chen Xiu Shi, who is the founder and honorary chairman of the company, migrated from China to Thailand after World War II.
A self-made man, Mr Chen became a successful businessman whose biography is now into its third edition.
An avid reader well-versed in the Chinese language, Mr Pawat also got hold of several useful textbooks, which were translated from German and Russian to Chinese.
One of them was entitled Rubber Industry Handbook and provided knowledge on rubber and formulas for rubber compounds. The book was a major stepping stone towards development of many further innovations.
"I have encouraged young children to learn new languages. Learning a new language is a key to success as it opens the door to new knowledge in foreign language books," he said.
His Japanese wife helps to translate Japanese language textbooks, allowing him to access further knowledge, he said.
Mr Pawat graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Krirk Institution, but he continued to teach himself science and chemistry until he was recognised as an outstanding inventor and received an honorary doctorate in chemical engineering from Kasetsart University.
He has also been the recipient of several awards in recognition of his business successes, his innovations and contributions to society.
When the country was hit by the great floods in 2011, high water levels made travel impossible for people in several provinces.
One of his companies, which manufactures truck bed liners, halted its usual production for a while and branched out into boats.
More than 10,000 boats were given to flood victims nationwide to help them get about in flooded areas.
Mr Pawat also established a research and development centre for innovations named EPG Innovation Centre Co, with an international standard laboratory for testing chemical substances, water quality, pressure and environmental conditions.
"We have almost 3,000 personnel and a labour union. We have never have labour disputes with our staff. We also give scholarships to the children of our staff to support their education until they graduate. Several of them have returned to work with us after their graduation," Mr Pawat said.
He said his father stresses the values of honesty, gratitude and perseverance and hard work.
"When you drink water from a well, don't forget the well diggers" is the main teaching of his father and has been the mantra for running the company, he said.
Despite his tight work schedule, Mr Pawat still finds time for social work, and gives lectures on innovation to entrepreneurs and students pursuing master's degrees in business administration at Ramkhamhaeng University.
"In my view, the trend for future businesses is to rely on innovations as their strengths to propel them forward and to make a difference in their industries. Innovation will be key to helping Thai products compete in the world market more efficiently," he said.
From pigs to plastic and rubber. Pawat Vitoorapakorn's EPG owns the Eastern Polypack brand of disposable plastic packaging which has plants in China, the United States, India and Germany.