Mr. Chatchai Khunpitiluck

Born in November 10, 1974, Mr. Chatchai Khunpitiluck, Senior Executive Vice-President of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society’s digital economy cluster, has expertise in a wide range of digital technology. He previously works with many digital private-owned companies in overseas prior to setting up his company Catcha.com. Regarded as the pioneer of start-up business in the country, he was recently appointed as the spokesperson of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT).

Biography

Born in a northeastern province of Udonthani, Mr. Chatchai or Huang as called by families and friends started his primary school at Saint Gabriel’s College and secondary years at Triam Udom Suksa School. He was granted the government’s scholarship for furthering his study in the United States. Prior to attending the university, he also spent a year in Grade 12 of an all-boys school to familiarize himself with different education systems between the two countries.

Despite being qualified to enroll in the Ivy League such as the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University and Cornell University, he chose engineering program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. He got a bachelor degree in electrical engineering and computer with the first-class honor within three years of his study.

Later, he started the second bachelor degree in computer science and received an honorable degree in 1997. He was also assistant teacher for basic computer science course for undergraduates at Carnegie Mellon University during that time.

He obtained master degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University in California and worked as assistant teacher, teaching logic design for undergraduate and graduate students.

Working Life

A private company employee who has become a boss of his own business

After graduation, he started working at Silicon Graphics Inc. in California during 1998-1999. He was responsible for developing and designing programme to test and check the memory system of the super computer machine. At the same time, he founded his company Siam Page.com, having a large number of users and successfully generating income from advertisement.

Due to a strong market share growth, a Singapore-based digital corporate invested in his company for expanding the web portal to the regional Southeast Asian level. After selling the business, it was merged with Catcha.com company during 2000-2003. As the merging’s condition required Chatchai to manage the firm for two years, he decided to suspend a plan for doctorial degree study and put strong efforts into the start-up business.

The Singapore-based company later decided to sell the company to a Thai firm. Having series of constraints doing start-up business Chatchai accepted it was a turning point for him to shift to a new pathway of working life as a civil servant at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT)

Life as a state official

As a computer academic, he was appointed as a spokesperson of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) by the then ICT Minister Surapong Suebwonglee during 2004-2006. He was later appointed as the director of MICT’s electronic system promotion and development division during 2011-2012. He also worked as the deputy director of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) during 2012-2017. At present, he is appointed as the senior executive vice president of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society’s Digital Economy Cluster.

Insignia

2012: Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.

2010: Commander (Third Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant.

2008: Commander (Third Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand.